A Starlit Path
by Gladewing
Summary: Collection of drabbles and oneshots about cats' deaths, thoughts, et cetera et cetera. I'll try to go in order of the series. For when I'm bored. Now accepting requests. Been done before, credit to those authors.
1. Betrayal

**- Redtail: Betrayal -**

The tortoiseshell tom was being driven to the ground by a barrage of blows. Oakheart was yowling triumphantly, as if he had already defeated the ThunderClan deputy, but Redtail wasn't dead yet. He heaved upward with his hind paws and flung Oakheart away from him. Surprised, the RiverClan warrior skidded on his paws, and hit hard against one of the Sunningrocks.

Redtail spun around and lashed out at another warrior. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tigerclaw drag a sleek warrior off of wiry Mousefur. At once, other RiverClanners leapt atop the huge dark tabby, and Redtail knew at once that they were hopelessly outnumbered.

At that moment, there came a huge rumbling from behind him.

The tortoiseshell warrior turned, his tail, as red as fox fur, flashing behind him. He got only a glimpse of Oakheart's terror-stricken face before the deputy went down under a rockslide. Redtail's heart sank and grief gripped his stomach. He had never liked the RiverClan deputy, but he had hoped that no cat would die in this battle.

Turning again, Redtail dashed up and pushed a thick-furred RiverClanner from Tigerclaw's back. "Tigerclaw!" he hissed. "This is useless! There are too many of them!"

"No, Redtail. ThunderClan will never be beaten on our own territory!" Tigerclaw swung a gigantic paw, connecting so hard with a RiverClan warrior's shoulder that Redtail heart the bone slide from its proper place.

Redtail felt desperation as the brave ThunderClan warrior refused to leave. "We can't afford to lose any more of our warriors," he meowed urgently. "We will have another chance to avenge this defeat." He met Tigerclaw's amber eyes with a steady gaze, determined to make the dark tabby see reason. Tigerclaw's eyes were furious slits, but Redtail ignored them, turning to yowl to his warriors, "Retreat! ThunderClan, we must retreat!"

He hated to hear the sudden jubilant cries from RiverClan. They were obviously overjoyed, and a snarl rose in his throat as they pranced around one another and hissed triumphantly at ThunderClan.

Redtail gave a flick of his tail, and the ThunderClan warriors fled from the scene deep into the forest. Redtail waited until they were all gone, then followed after them, but he didn't realize that Tigerclaw was behind him until he heard the dark warrior's voice hiss, "Redtail, wait! I have to talk to you!"

Redtail paused in his retreat, and the other ThunderClan warriors melted into the darkness, continuing their run. But before Redtail could even turn his head, to give Tigerclaw a stern talk, the dark warrior had leapt on him.

Even before Tigerclaw had delivered the deathblow, Redtail's life flashed before his eyes, particularly about his daughter and his apprentice. Who would mentor Dustpaw? And who would watch over ferocious and sarcastic Sandpaw? He envisioned her pretty ginger pelt, and knew he would watch over her in the afterlife. He would be at both his daughter Sandpaw's and his apprentice Dustpaw's warrior ceremonies. He would...

Tigerclaw's paw came down, huge curved claws unsheathed, and sank into the back of Redtail's head. Blood leaked from the wounds, and pain overcame him. The agony stayed for a long time, until it had faded to a painful tingling in his nerves. Then blackness swept over him in a thick, dark wave.

Betrayal...

Redtail waited. He thought that something was about to happen, and he was right, for out of the darkness appeared beautiful Fawnfeather. His pale ginger mate wound herself around him lovingly. She had died during Sandpaw's birth, and a day had not gone by in the six moons since that Redtail had not thought of the slender, white-flecked ginger she-cat. He purred deep in his throat.

"It's good to see you again," he told her gently, rasping his tongue across her forehead.

"And you. I have always watched over you," Fawnfeather purred, entwining her tail with his. "But much terror is to come, my love."

"I will guide my Clan through it all," Redtail declared. He paused. "And I will also have my revenge on Tigerclaw..."

Fawnfeather nodded. "All of ThunderClan will. I have much to show you, Redtail," she murmured, and, running her tail along his back, she led him up a grassy hillside. At the foot of the hill, on the other side, was a perfectly circular pool, touched silver by the moonlight. Cats stood all around it, their fur tipped silver, and they all gazed at him with faith and love in their eyes.

"Welcome to StarClan, my love," Fawnfeather meowed, and Redtail ran down the hillside, his long fur streaming and his gentle eyes full of joy.


	2. Needed

**Aximilli2: Indeed 3**

**Niah-Miyoki: Thank you. XP**

* * *

**- Lionheart: Needed -**

Golden tabby fur flashed as Lionheart unsheathed his claws and sprang. ShadowClan was among them; there were so many of them that Lionheart couldn't breathe for that stench of crow-food. He dug his claws into the back of a light tabby and reared up so the small creature was up off the ground, then flung it away from him with violent hatred.

_Where are they?_

Bluestar had left to commune with StarClan, and had taken ThunderClan's best warrior and three of their apprentices with her. Lionheart, as the deputy, was left in charge, but for once his desperation was so choking that he couldn't think of what to do, couldn't think of what to say. But ThunderClan worked as a team, and no cat needed his instruction to fling themselves headlong into the battle.

He saw Whitestorm battling alongside Sandpaw. The noble tom and his apprentice lashed out in turn, completely synchronized; as did Darkstripe and his own apprentice, Dustpaw. Lionheart, for his part, was glad that Graypaw was nowhere to be seen. He could use the experience, but Lionheart, like any other mentor, had grown affectionate of the young tomcat and didn't want him hurt.

_That kind of thinking won't get me anywhere!_

All of a sudden, a cat slammed into his side. He rolled with the blow and ended up pinning the silver tabby - Boulder, he recalled - beneath his broad paws. Boulder got a leg loose and struck Lionheart across the face. Impatiently the golden warrior shook his head, scattering droplets of blood.

"I should kill you," he hissed at the tom, "but I live by the warrior code, unlike you. You are no warrior."

He leapt from the ShadowClan warrior and sent Boulder racing with a heavy blow to the head. Then, he heard them - Bluestar and Tigerclaw returning with the apprentices. He heard Tigerclaw's roar of fury, and the huge dark tabby burst onto the scene, snarling.

Lionheart saw Graypaw and caught his yellow eye. "Go to the elders!" Lionheart yowled at him. "Quickly!"

Graypaw nodded and sped away.

_He'll be safe there_, Lionheart thought, thinking of Graypaw like his own son.

At that moment, something hit him. Again he rolled with the blow, but this time he didn't end up on top. It was Boulder, and he had brought friends. Lionheart bared sharp serrated teeth at them.

"You've lost," he hissed.

"Not quite," spat Boulder.

"Look." Lionheart turned his head to stare at Tigerclaw, who swept ShadowClanners out of his way like they were not but underbrush. "You've lost," he repeated smugly.

Boulder swooped and sank his fangs into Lionheart's throat. Lionheart had known from the moment the silver cat pinned him that he hadn't had a chance. He lay motionless in the dusty soil as Boulder left and ShadowClan retreated. Blood seeped from him and his vision became blurry. He knew that Spottedleaf was beginning to nurse him, pressing cobwebs against his wound. If he had had the strength he would have told her not to bother. The stars already shone more brightly for him.

He heard Graypaw's thin wail, felt his apprentice push his nose into his thick golden fur. Then he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he saw a handsome yellow tabby with green eyes and long fur. He was surprised to see this cat, who had died even before Bluestar was made leader - for he was Sunstar, who had declared Bluestar his deputy, and made her the strong leader she was today.

Not only that, but he was Lionheart's mentor.

"To me, it seems like you will always be Lionpaw," rumbled Sunstar with a wry chuckle.

"Just like Graypaw." Lionheart looked back and saw his body, where Graypaw mourned. "He was like a son to me," he added sorrowfully.

"You can watch over him."

"I will watch over my whole Clan," replied Lionheart fiercely. Then he saddened again. "Maybe if Bluestar had come sooner - I needed them. I needed their help. And she needs me. I'm _needed_, Sunstar."

Sunstar shook his head. "You're needed more by StarClan than by ThunderClan. Follow me, Lionheart."

Perhaps it was because Lionheart was used to taking orders from Sunstar, or maybe it was that innate pull that he felt when he looked at the stars, but he followed the yellow tabby obediently as the scene with his body melted away and turned into a dark, starry landscape, with a grassy hillside. Lionheart and Sunstar raced up the hillside, both of them young again, and then down the other side, to join StarClan, forever and for always.


	3. Sanctuary

**- Spottedleaf: Sanctuary -**

This was her sanctuary. Her place; her medicine den. It was filled with sweet and tangy scents, so many that they clung to her fur. This was the place she loved.

Spottedleaf padded around her den, something she never got tired of doing, and gently pawed through her stores, left to her by Featherwhisker. There, thyme - great for calming anxiety and easing a cat's frayed nerves. And there, poppyseed, for helping a cat get some sleep. There, traveling herbs, like what she had given to young Firepaw when he was to attend the trip to Highstones.

That Firepaw...he was something. Younger than her, but not by a lot - not by a lot, at all. He smelled young and vital and strong, and looked it as well. His green eyes so were bright.

But for Spottedleaf, her medicine business always came first. It wasn't her place to like Firepaw any more than any other cat. Her place was to sift through the thyme and poppyseed and traveling herbs like Featherwhisker before her, like any medicine cat before her.

As these thoughts drifted idly through her head, she suddenly smelled an unfamiliar scent. After a moment, she identified it as ShadowClan. Slipping from her den and slinking along, not forgetting the warrior skills even a healer knew, Spottedleaf crept toward the center of camp, and saw a tail disappearing into the undergrowth behind the nursery.

Kit thieves!

She moved quickly, slipping into the place behind the nursery as well. Her beautiful dappled fur fluffed out when she saw Clawface, a scarred brown tom, and she hissed at him in fury.

He looked up, holding one of Frostfur's kits in his jaws, and unceremoniously dropped the kit where he stood. "Well, look here," he purred amusedly. "I've got a medicine cat."

"You've got nothing, fox dung," she spat.

Clawface came closer. "Don't I?"

"What do you want with those kits?" Spottedleaf demanded, ignoring his remark and unsheathing her claws. But inside, a small fear was beginning to grow. She couldn't fight this warrior! He was twice her size!

"Oh, it's not me. It's Brokenstar. These kits are going to be ShadowClan warriors," he told her, his tail twiching with evil amusement.

He leaned down to take up the kit again in his jaws, but a surge of she-cat determination drove Spottedleaf forward. She leapt onto his back, sinking in her claws. She felt no satisfaction when the blood spurted out, for she was a healer, not a killer, but when Clawface flung her away, she wished she had tried harder. His paw swung suddenly and collided hard with the back of her neck, and instantly Spottedleaf was detached from herself, watching in horror as Clawface took the kits out of the camp.

Hours later, Frostfur let out a cry. "My kits! My kits are gone!"

Gasping with fear, Spottedleaf dashed back towards the camp, where Tigerclaw was bounding toward Frostfur and barking out orders. The slim tortoiseshell saw Yellowfang looking around wildly.

_She was once ShadowClan._

The medicine cat raced for Yellowfang and pushed her hard. Yellowfang stumbled behind the nursery, and Spottedleaf watched as the gray she-cat flinched as she caught Clawface's scent, and dashed out of the camp.

_Now for some help._

Spottedleaf saw Firepaw - the cat that had taken at least part of her heart - and directed him to see Yellowfang's tail disappearing. Firepaw pelted over to her, but Yellowfang was already gone.

_But he has the scent. Everything will be fine_.

As soon as Spottedleaf let out a sigh and relaxed, a cat was sitting there beside her. It was a long-furred, silvery tom with a feathery plume of a tail. Spottedleaf relaxed against his side. No words needed to pass between mentor and apprentice; Featherwhisker led Spottedleaf out of the camp, towards Fourtrees. Fourtrees was nothing but a clearing, full of cats and with a sparkling pool in it. Spottedleaf immediately saw Lionheart and Redtail.

"So this is my new home," she murmured.

"So it shall be," Featherwhisker told her.


	4. A Life Of Love

**Sunstorm2369: Thanks! It's always great to hear someone say that, or anything like it for that matter.**

**Niah-Miyoki: I meant to tell you, no, the Erins didn't give Redtail Klinefelter's; I also saw your review for _The Untold Story_. Sandstorm is Redtail's daughter, so obviously he doesn't have Klinefelter's XDD**

_I don't own "Fire and Ice", so there isn't anything from there, I'm sorry! I was in the process of doing Whiteclaw's fall over the gorge, but I don't have enough details to make it even close to accurate, though it would have been cool painting a scene like that. So on to "Forest of Secrets" we go._

* * *

**- Silverstream: A Life of Love -**

It was supposed to be just like any other meeting with her lover, the shining sun in her life - that handsome gray warrior, Graystripe.

When Silverstream had found out she was pregnant with Graystripe's kits, she had been overjoyed, and even more encouraged to continue meeting him. After all, StarClan wouldn't let her become with kit unless they approved, right?

They weren't technically supposed to meet at Sunningrocks, but it was as far as Silverstream could go, as pregnant as she was. It was hard enough for her to ford the river; Graystripe worried over her every time she did it, and Silverstream loved every minute of it.

This particular day, the fording of the river seemed to be harder going, but the beautiful she-cat hardly noticed, because she could already see Graystripe, his form strong and muscular as he watched, waiting for her to come. He spotted her and bounded down toward her, helping her out of the river. Then he ran his muzzle along her lower jawline, down her throat. She lifted her nose, purring so hard she vibrated, and he rasped his tongue over her ear.

"You get more beautiful with each passing day," he told her.

They moved deeper into the deep heat of Sunningrocks. Silverstream wished often that Sunningrocks was part of RiverClan's territory. It was the perfect place to come and sun, and it belonged solely to her mate's Clan. But it didn't matter. She visited it anyway.

As they lay there, just basking in the sun and in each other's company, Silverstream suddenly felt a twinge of pain in her stomach. She had those often, so she wasn't worried.

But as the moments passed, the twinges came harder, and more often. She stretched out, trying to relieve the pain, and Graystripe noticed.

"Are you all right? Silverstream?" His voice was becoming anxious and urgent as she didn't answer.

The pain amplified. A spasm suddenly trailed down her body, and she jerked hard. "Graystripe!" she gasped. "Graystripe!"

"What is it? What's going on?" Graystripe was on his paws, covering her face with licks.

Silverstream let out a chilling wail, full of fear and pain. Graystripe looked around, obviously trying to figure out what to do. Silverstream released another screech, and at that moment, a voice cried out, "Graystripe?"

It was familiar to Silverstream. Graystripe looked up and yowled, "Fireheart! It's the kits - the kits are coming, and it's all going wrong! Fetch Yellowfang!"

Through hazy vision Silverstream saw Fireheart race away, then another convulsion gripped her. With time, the convulsions grew weaker, but blearily Silverstream could tell that that worried Graystripe even more. She didn't even have the strength to cry out with the pain anymore.

She suddenly scented another cat, very close to her, and this cat cried in a young, feminine voice, "Fireheart, get down here! I need you!"

Silverstream tried to lift her head, to clear her vision, but nothing helped. She could smell blood - her own blood. Another heavy convulsion wracked her form, and this time she felt something - the kit. A kit had come. The cat with the young voice bent to sniff it, then lifted it and went to meet Fireheart.

"Lick it! Get its blood flowing!" she told him.

With the last convulsion came the second, and last, kit. At that point, with the smell of copper burning her scent glands, Silverstream knew she didn't have a chance. She could barely see her kits, being licked to life by a flame-colored tom and a huge dark tabby. The cat that had helped her to deliver was bent over her, pushing herbs near her voice.

"Graystripe, get her to swallow these. We have to stop the bleeding."

_Yes. Right. The bleeding..._

"Hold on, Silverstream!"

_I can't do that...who are you again?_

"Silverstream!" Graystripe's voice was panicked.

Silverstream lifted her head weakly, and for the first time her mate's face seemed clear. She feebly licked his face, wanting for all the world to stay here with him, with their kits..."Good-bye, Graystripe," she whispered, trying to put all the love she felt into her voice. "I love you. Take care of our kits."

"No!" he cried, dimly.

She was slipping away, she knew it. She stood up suddenly, feeling strong and vital. She padded a few steps forward experimentally, but when she looked back, she saw herself limp, and Graystripe licking her furiously, whimpering her name. Grief gripped her for a moment, choking her very heart.

"Silverstream. Do you remember when I died?"

The beautiful tabby whirled around and was surprised to see the dark warrior Whiteclaw. This was not the warrior she had expected to lead her to StarClan.

"Yes," she murmured. "You fell over the gorge."

"It was Graystripe's fault."

Silverstream flinched and opened her mouth to defend her mate, but before she could begin, Whiteclaw was speaking again.

"But I've forgiven him for it, because he has made you happy, even in your death. As a StarClan warrior I can't continue faulting a cat that makes one of my Clanmates happy, even in death." Whiteclaw bowed his head. "Are you ready to go?"

"Can I have one more moment?"

Whiteclaw nodded, and Silverstream wound around Graystripe, purring. He couldn't hear her or feel her, but somehow, she thought he knew she was there. She gave each of her kits a lick - one a pale silver like her, the other a dark gray like their father. She touched her nose to Fireheart's ear gratefully, and swiped her tail along the medicine cat's back.

"Thank you. All of you," she whispered, and with that, they carried the kits away, and Whiteclaw led Silverstream to her future in StarClan.


	5. Passed Over, Passed Away

**- Swiftpaw: Passed Over, Passed Away -**

As he and Brightpaw crept through the underbrush, Swiftpaw was starting to wish he had tried harder to persuade the others to come. The forest was deathly quiet, and Swiftpaw could hear every step that he and his friend took.

Inside, his blood boiled hot. How dare Fireheart lie and say that _Bluestar_ would only make Cloudpaw a warrior? Swiftpaw didn't believe that for a second. Why in the world would Bluestar only make a kittypet's apprentice a warrior, but none of the other, truly loyal cats? Brightpaw must have sensed his fury, for she crept forward and touched her nose to his flank.

"I'm scared," she whispered. "I want Cloudtail."

Swiftpaw snorted. "Why would you want that useless lump of fox fur?"

"Well, I - I mean...he's always nice to me..."

"He's a kittypet," Swiftpaw spat uncharitably. "And a cheater. We're gonna get that dog, Brightpaw, and prove that we're better!"

"It's not his fault..." she muttered, but she didn't argue with him anymore.

All of a sudden, the forest seemed even quieter than before. Swiftpaw tensed, looking all around. There wasn't any sort of animal in sight, nothing to catch for prey. Everything was gone, and Swiftpaw would only realize later that that should have told him something.

Near Snakerocks, the scents around him starting getting...strange. Normally it was the smell of heat and burning and stone and snake and mouse. Now it was fiercer, somehow, like there was something so scary there, even the snakes had retreated. Swiftpaw sped up, until he was racing full speed, terrified.

"Swiftpaw!" Brightpaw hissed behind him.

"Don't be afraid!" he called back. "I don't smell anything, d'you?"

"N-no," she admitted.

At that moment something flew at Swiftpaw. He realized then that he didn't have a chance in StarClan. The dog - for that's what it was, a huge, gigantic dog - locked its jaws in Swiftpaw's throat. He wrestled with it, clawing at its eyes, but realized quickly that the blood was dripping too fast, and struggling only worsened the wound. When he fell limp, the dog worried him like a housedog might worry a bone, then hurled him away. Swiftpaw hit the ground, winded.

Then Brightpaw was next to him. "Swiftpaw!"

Swiftpaw spat out blood, scrambling to his paws, preparing to fight again. "We'll be fine," he growled. "There's only one dog, and two of us."

"Yeah," said Brightpaw, but Swiftpaw could tell she didn't really believe it.

He shouldn't have, either.

The others began to melt from the shadows around the clearing. There must have been six or seven, and they were gigantic. Swiftpaw was already severely weakened by the first. If he wasn't so proud, if he wasn't so defiant, he would have known to run, climb up a tree, do anything, but not fight. Never fight.

"_Pack, pack. Kill, kill_."

_No!_

The dogs sprang forward. Spitting and clawing, Swiftpaw knew only the flashes of fur, the blood, the shining claws and yellow teeth. He felt them bite him and tear his fur, leaving deep gouges that couldn't rightly be called wounds. Wounds was too simple of a word. They were...they were tears, deep tears in his very being that leaked crimson tears.

He was fighting like all of LionClan.

But LionClan themselves had died out, and Swiftpaw was young and small. He didn't have a chance.

He dashed up a tree, but seconds later the huge paws brought him down to the ground once more. He stared up in fear at the dog that had brought him down: it was the very first one, that had given him the throat injury.

"_Pack, pack_," it growled, lifting a lip in a vicious smile, "_...kill_."

It brought down its paw.

A sweet scent drifted around him. "Come, Swiftpaw, open your eyes."

For a split second Swiftpaw thought he was alive. But no, he could never have survived that, at least, never without pain. He did as the voice told him, and saw tortoiseshell fur. He tilted his head. "Who...who are you?"

"I am Spottedleaf," she told him. "I was ThunderClan's medicine cat before Yellowfang and Cinderpelt."

Swiftpaw made a noise of awe, then suddenly he gasped. "Brightpaw! Brightpaw, is she okay?"

Spottedleaf bowed her head and murmured, "She is not dead."

Swiftpaw relaxed.

"But perhaps death may have been a better fate," murmured Spottedleaf, half to herself. Swiftpaw stiffened, but Spottedleaf shook her head. "You needn't worry now, Swiftpaw. You are safe."

"I'm dead, right?"

"You are dead," she confirmed. "You hunt with StarClan now." She lay her tail across his shoulders. "Are you ready?"

He nodded, his throat choked up, and followed the pretty tortoiseshell. He looked back and saw the pack was gone, and Brightpaw lay bleeding on the ground. He closed his eyes and turned away. _I'm sorry, Brightpaw. I'm so sorry._


	6. A Bloody Trail

_Niah-Miyoki: Yeah, poor Swiftpaw T.T And yes, I will be doing Feathertail eventually.  
Sunstorm2369: I don't know if I ever replied to your review or not, but THANKS!_

**- A Bloody Trail -**

The tabby she-cat could smell the metallic scent of fresh blood on the air. She glanced around the camp; every cat was busy, every cat had something to do. Fear skittered through her as she padded for the camp entrance. She was the only cat with nothing to do but check out this strange scent, after telling a warrior that she was going to hunt early.

Brindleface dropped instinctively into a fur-bristling crouch as she moved forward. She smelled death before she came upon the ravaged, bloody rabbit. She furrowed her brow.

"Who would leave a dead rabbit?" she wondered aloud. She was tempted to eat it, but as she padded closer, she looked past it and saw -

Another rabbit?

"Something isn't right here," she whispered.

"You are so very right."

Brindleface almost jumped out of her skin, spinning and hissing, and then fear paralyzed her when she saw the huge tabby shape melting from the bushes. Tigerstar!

"What are you doing here?" she cried, unsheathing her claws.

He chuckled darkly. "I think I'll first explain. You are correct when you say something is not right here. Would you like to know what's wrong?"

_No!_ she cried in her mind, but her voice wouldn't work.

"What's wrong is that ThunderClan still lives," he purred dangerously. "And I think you will be the first to die. Would you like to know why?"

"StarClan, no," whispered Brindleface.

"I think I'll tell you. It's because, Brindleface, _I _laid those rabbits. Do you see where they lead?"

At first Brindleface was confused. They led away from the camp, toward ShadowClan and Snakerocks, where all the feathers had been -

Great StarClan, no. The rabbits led to camp.

"Ah, I see you understand," murmured Tigerstar, prowling around her, his muscles rippling beneath his pelt. "But isn't enough just to lead them here."

"Them?" meowed Brindleface tremulously.

"Dogs," said Tigerstar. "The dogs that killed precious, precious Swiftpaw."

"You filth!" yowled Brindleface.

Tigerstar only laughed. "As I was saying, it isn't enough just to lead them here. You cowards could just hide. But I could drive them crazy, Brindleface. I can see it now. Once they've gotten a taste of cat blood, they just couldn't go without. They'd find all of you, and they'd rip you apart just to get at your entrails. Of course, they won't have to go to the trouble of killing you."

"No!" screamed Brindleface, and then she tried to run.

Tigerstar leapt, and the blow he struck to her back fractured her spine, though she couldn't have known that. She fell to the ground, literally paralyzed, whispering, "No...no...Tigerstar, oh, great StarClan, no!"

"Oh, StarClan, _yeees_," whispered Tigerstar lovingly, and then he struck the final blow across Brindleface's skull. She wasn't yet gone when he stalked away from her, and she heard his dark laughing, then it was replaced by...a joyful laugh, a laugh that sounded like the epitome of glee.

She looked up, rather surprised when she _could_ look up. Her back wasn't broken! She was free!

She raced toward camp, sending up the alarm, surprised when none of them responded to her. Then a quiet purr said, "Oh, my love, you're finally with me."

Brindleface turned, and joy struck her heart when she saw him - a broad-shouldered white tomcat. "Snowfall," she whispered, then she ducked her head. "Snowfall, I'm sorry. I've betrayed -"

"No, Brindleface." Snowfall abruptly cut her off. "I'm glad you chose him. He's a great warrior, Brindleface."

"You're right," she whispered. "But you were my first. I bore Whitestorm's kits, but you were my first. I'm so glad I can leave with you."

"As am I," he replied. "Come with me, Brindleface. Let us race StarClan's hunting grounds like we used to race in the forest, back when we were but Brindlepaw and Snowpaw."

"Let's," the pretty tabby whispered, and then they did so. They raced away from the camp, lost in happy oblivion.


	7. Reconciliation

**- Reconciliation - **

She hadn't believed him.

Why had she not believed him?

As Bluestar pelted along the undergrowth, she cursed herself and she cursed StarClan - for she had called her most loyal warrior a traitor, and now he was bound to die with the rest of them. She heard the dogs' howls ahead of her, and knew she was close.

"Only after you!" she heard him - Fireheart - gasp, and then the huge dark tabby above him let him go. Bluestar was almost paralyzed when she saw that cat, holding down the flame-colored warrior. But then he was gone, and the dog converged on Fireheart, grasping his scruff and worrying him like a dog, and Bluestar was in motion again.

"StarClan, help me!" he yowled. "StarClan, where are you?"

Bluestar barreled into the dog, claws flying, pulling chunks of short thick fur from its pelt. It threw Fireheart to the ground as she continually rammed it, thinking, _Release him! You'll die for touching him!_

"Bluestar!" Fireheart yowled.

The force of her next ram sent the dog stumbling to the gorge. Panting, she watched as it howled - no, screamed with horror as it fell, its weight breaking the edge. But then - then its jaws snapped around her leg, and she didn't even have time to yowl with fear as she was wrenched over as well.

She hit the water, the force of impact alone knocking the breath out of her, and as she tried to suck in air, she got salty water instead. She faintly heard Fireheart scream her name.

Even as things started to move in slow motion and her vision began to blur, even as she started to sink, his teeth grasped in her scruff. She closed her eyes tightly as he pulled her to shore.

Then other jaws pulled her from the water, just as Fireheart seemed close to losing strength. Then her beloved Stonefur's voice: "Let go. We've got her now."

_Oh, StarClan,_ she thought, sighing gently with relief.

"Bluestar!"

"Is she dead?"

_No, not yet, Fireheart._

"I think she -"

"Fireheart! Watch out!"

Bluestar lost track of Fireheart's doings. She breathed in Mistyfoot and Stonefur's scents, her beloved kits. She heard Mistyfoot gasp, "Fireheart, she's alive!"

"Bluestar?" came Fireheart's whisper. "Bluestar, it's Fireheart."

_I know, my warrior_.

"You're all right now. You're safe," he murmured.

She finally blinked open her eyes and looked, not at Fireheart, but at her kits. "You saved me," she murmured, a little bit awed.

"Shh, don't try to talk," Mistyfoot interrupted, but Bluestar wasn't inclined to listen. She didn't have much time left to just be silent.

"I want to tell you something. I want to ask you to forgive me for sending you away. Oakheart promised me Graypool would be a good mother to you..." Bluestar trailed off, and Stonefur told her tensely that Graypool had been a good mother, and Bluestar felt relief wash over her.

"I owe her so much," continued Bluestar, "and your father, for being such a good mentor to you. Please forgive me."

Fireheart urged them to, but Bluestar hardly heard his voice. She gazed beseechingly at her son and daughter, willing them and StarClan to forgive her.

"We forgive you," Mistyfoot said, and Stonefur echoed the sentiment. Mistyfoot licked Bluestar's fur, and she whispered, though they didn't hear, "Oh, thank you, StarClan." She purred with delight, vibrating even through her weakness.

But she was already fading away. She could see him, Oakheart, his red-brown fur gleaming with health, just beyond their kits. "Oakheart," she murmured. "Have you come for me?" He dipped his head, smiling at her. "I'm ready," she told him, and he purred gently.

Fireheart protested, but Bluestar could barely bring herself to answer him. She hardly understand most of what she was saying, but she knew quite clearly that she was right when she meowed, "You will be Firestar, the light of ThunderClan."

Then her spirit rose and she padded to Oakheart. "I really am ready," she told him, her eyes flashing defiantly.

"I would never have denied it," he purred, chuckling dryly, and he led her away, tail across her back.


	8. Selflessness

_Silent as a Bomb: Uh...sorry...Brindleface DID have Whitestorm's kits...too bad, I guess. XD_

**- Selflessness - **

_No. I'll never do it. I'll never do that to you_.

Stonefur tried to convey the thoughts to the two terrified apprentices through his eyes. They gazed up at him, full of fear from Tigerstar's last order: "Stonefur, I will give you a chance to prove your loyalty to TigerClan. Kill these two half-Clan apprentices."

Filled with fresh fury at the thought, the blue-gray warrior whirled on his leader, Leopardstar. She winced at the rage in his eyes as he hissed, "I take orders from _you_. You must know this is wrong. What do you want me to do?"

He already knew that if she agreed with Tigerstar, he wouldn't do it. But some part of him hoped, no, _wished_ that she would finally realize that the great dark tabby was evil, pure evil.

But that wasn't to be.

"These are difficult times..." Leopardstar spoke after several long moments, and her voice still sounded uncertain. "There is no room for divided loyalties. Do as Tigerstar tells you."

Stonefur stared at her. This was not the leader he once knew. As he stared at her he wanted her to see the combination of regret and pure hate he felt for her at that moment...then he turned to the two half-Clan apprentices.

They shrank away from him, and Stormpaw meowed to his sister tremulously, "We'll fight him, I promise."

Stonefur couldn't help but smile, and he nodded at his apprentice just like any other mentor would. _I have trained you well, _he thought. _You will be an asset to RiverClan in the future_. And with that thought he whirled on Tigerstar and spat, "You'll have to kill me first!"

Tigerstar didn't look surprised, and he didn't flinch. "Very well," he said with a shrug. "Kill him."

Darkstripe sprang at Stonefur, but even thin and hungry Stonefur knew how to fight. He fell down and leaped backward from his paws, slashing at Darkstripe's nose with his claws. They writhed together as Darkstripe caught Stonefur's paws and brought him down.

Stonefur scrabbled as his assailant's underbelly with unsheathed claws until he could fling the dark TigerClan warrior from him. Then he leaped up and fixed his teeth in Darkstripe's scruff, trying to worry him, shake him, but the cat was huge. He sprang away from Stonefur and then they faced each other, panting.

Stonefur shook his paw, scattering droplets of blood. _You should die,_ he thought, too weak and breathless to give voice to the words. _You and Tigerstar, you're abominations!_

Then Darkstripe leaped again on his leader's order, and Stonefur rolled with the attack, slicing down Darkstripe's side as he went past and then kicking out with a blow that caught Darkstripe in the crook of his hindleg, making him collapse automatically. Even as Stonefur leapt to finish him, he heard Tigerstar say calmly, "Finish it."

Then Blackfoot was on him, slicing down his throat with his claws. Stonefur didn't hear his own gurgling cry. He fell, and when he opened his eyes again, he wasn't looking on the deathly scene of his end.

He was staring at Crookedstar.

He smiled slowly. "You've come for me."

"I regret to," answered the tabby. "Stormpaw and Featherpaw need you, but there are others to help them now." Crookedstar turned his head, and an image flickered to life of a flame-colored tomcat, a gray warrior, and a black-and-white cat crouched in the reeds. Stonefur smiled again.

"I am glad to see them."

"They aren't glad to see you," Crookedstar said gruffly. "You are dead, after all."

"Be nice, Crookedstar." A blue-gray she-cat padded up, purring, and wound around Stonefur. "Oh, my son," Bluestar whispered. "How wonderful to see you again."

"Maybe now we can finally know each other," Stonefur said hopefully. "Maybe now you won't be a stranger."

Bluestar's eyes shone. "Maybe now," she agreed, and she and the former RiverClan leader led the brave warrior, returned to his young, sleek, fit prime, to StarClan's hunting grounds.


	9. Never A Chance

**- Never A Chance - **

His ginger-and-white fur was torn to pieces, and his breathing came in ragged strokes. Huge paws pinned him to the ground. Gorsepaw could barely see, with blood leaking into his eyes, that the paws were dark tabby-colored.

Gorsepaw knew that no matter what happened to him now, WindClan would _never_ join TigerClan, and he found comfort in that fact.

Morningflower's chilling wail rose past Tigerstar's wall of warriors. "No, Gorsepaw!"

"You know he doesn't have a chance, you fool queen," spat a TigerClan warrior. Gorsepaw had no idea if the cat was ShadowClan or RiverClan. He supposed it didn't matter anymore, since fool Leopardstar had merged her Clan with Tigerstar's.

Gorsepaw croaked, "Mother, I'm fine. I'll be fine."

A long curved claw traced along Gorsepaw's cheek, slicing open the skin and making him cry out with the exquisite pain. _You murderer,_ he whispered in his mind.

"No, I don't think you'll be fine," crooned Tigerstar. He raised his head to the rest of WindClan, safely protected by his wall of warriors.

_You're a coward, too_.

"I'm going to kill him," meowed Tigerstar, almost conversationally, so casually that if Gorsepaw wasn't hearing the words, he'd think he was speaking with one of his friends. "I'm going to kill him now, to show all of you what I can do to you if you refuse to join me. So this is your last chance. Will you join TigerClan?"

A deathly silence fell over WindClan.

"Thank StarClan," Gorsepaw breathed. _Never, never join them. _

Tigerstar let out a harsh laugh. "So be it!" he laughed, and he plunged his claws deep into Gorsepaw's chest.

Gorsepaw was gone instantly.

He opened his eyes and immediately sprang to his paws, whirling in an attempt to find Tigerstar. "I'll kill you!" he spat, until he saw that the cat before him was a brown cat - no, a kit, no more than a few moons old. He said warily, "Who are you?"

"My name is Eaglekit," meowed the kit. "I was Ashfoot's kit. I died of disease."

He spoke so matter-of-factly that Gorsepaw flinched.

"I'm sorry to see another young WindClanner join me now," continued the kit sadly, "but I'm here to make it more comfortable for you. Will you follow me, Gorsepaw, and come to StarClan?"

Gorsepaw didn't have to think. "Of course I will." He touched his nose to Eaglekit's. It was strange, the thoughts that came to mind. He would have enjoyed being this wise young kit's mentor, but Eaglekit would be old enough, if he'd lived, to be _his_ mentor.

Those thoughts were banished as the brown tabby turned and padded away, his tail flicking in a friendly way, and Gorsepaw followed after him until both of them were running, laughing with glee.


	10. Retribution

**- Retribution -**

Tigerstar couldn't believe what he was hearing. This worthless, tiny cat was defying him? Defying his orders?

"There will be no battle today," Scourge had meowed decisively, and Tigerstar's blood had heated like the sun itself boiled what ran in his veins.

"Traitor!" he yowled at the top of his voice, and he sprang, every muscle in his powerful body straining to get at Scourge, to rip him apart for his betrayal.

_I'll rip you limb from limb!_

But Tigerstar was surprised by Scourge's speed. The smaller cat whipped to one side, and Tigerstar's eyes flew open as the light caught sparkling on Scourge's claws. How could he have forgotten about those claws, reinforced with the curved fangs of dogs?

Scourge's glinting paw swiped around and caught Tigerstar on his broad, muscular shoulder. Taken by surprise, the huge dark tabby staggered and fell to his side.

Even then he didn't concede that it was over. He couldn't be killed by this tiny cat, dogs' teeth or not! He started to heave himself to his paws, but then was stopped.

Scourge's talons had sank into his throat.

Tigerstar was so shocked that he didn't even hear his own bloody, gurgling noise. He coughed up scarlet. He made not a noise as Scourge ripped him throat to tail.

His cry of fury and fear and horrible agony came late, and then trailed off again with another gurgling cough. He jerked about, and his only thought was, _What is happening to me?_

Then, Tigerstar could not have understood what it meant to lose a life.

Now, the other leaders would see what it was like to lose all nine.

Blinking, sightless to all that was around him - all he saw was a pale, ghostly cat a fox-length away. He convulsed, and the pale outline grew sharper. The tide of blood flooded from Tigerstar's belly and lapped at the ghostly cat's paws. Tigerstar convulsed again and the cat grew sharper still, and with the fifth convulsion, Tigerstar realized what he was seeing.

Himself.

The dark tabby shape grew clearer as Tigerstar's vision grew hazier. Around the sharp shape of his past seven lives, Tigerstar could see the blurry cats of TigerClan and filthy Firestar's followers, and he saw Firestar himself, the bloody fool, and Scourge. Then another life went, and his own image smiled at him coldly.

And with the last life, he was no longer a convulsing body, seeing a sitting dark tabby - he was that dark tabby, sitting down with his tail wrapped around his paws, lifting a paw and shaking the sticky scarlet from it.

He stood and announced, "Where is StarClan to guide me home?"

There was silence.

"You abandon me, do you?" he yowled. "I'll have my revenge on you for this. And on your bloody 'chosen', Firestar."

Any heart that he had left was left behind with his still, bloody body. He strode forward into the forest, which glowed with eerie fungus, and he began to plot his revenge.


	11. Nothing Left

**- Nothing Left - **

"Every cat in the forest can turn to crowfood for all I care. All I want is to see you dead."

Darkstripe knew he meant the words, but there was a light in the back of his mind, as if trying to tell him something. He chose not to heed as he leaped toward Firestar, claws glinting in the moonlight. He hissed with frustration as the slippery flame-colored leader jumped to one side. _Not that easy,_ he hissed, and he swung his paw, catching Firestar on the side of the head and dazing him. Firestar lost his footing, and he fell hard.

Darkstripe immediately leapt, pinning Firestar to the ground. The worthless kittypet pawed at his belly as he writhed, but Darkstripe thought triumphantly, _I've got you now! I've finally got you! I'll rip you open faster than Scourge killed Tigerstar!_

Then teeth sank into the scruff of his neck, and that filth Graystripe was dragging him away. Screeching with pure rage, Darkstripe turned on his former Clanmate, shrieking and ripping at Graystripe's thick fur with his long claws.

"I'll kill you first!" he shrieked.

"Traitor!" Graystripe answered furiously, throwing Darkstripe to the ground with one tremendous hurl.

_I'll kill you! I'll kill you both!_ he thought.

"Fox dung!" was what he said instead when he found he couldn't throw off the big gray warrior. His struggles came to an abrupt halt with Graystripe's next swipe, with tore away skin in clean slashes from his throat, and blood leaked out even as Darkstripe gave one convulsive shudder.

"There's nothing left..." he whispered, and he knew it to be true. What was left for him? Would StarClan even accept him now? "It's all dark - everything's gone..."

_No!_ He made one last struggle to survive, one last convulsion as his muscles struggled to make him rise, and then his eyes glazed.

He shook his head sharply. What was he thinking? He was alive, and still ready to kill that kittypet!

He looked around, searching for the orange fur, but Firestar was already gone.

Every cat was gone.

Darkstripe was alone in an eerily-glowing forest. There were no stars in the sky. Suddenly filled with an irrational fear, Darkstripe began following the path before him until he was running, running with terror and horror, screaming. He had begun his eternal journey, from which there would be no release.


	12. Nobility

**- Nobility - **

The muscular white warrior hissed, his long white fur rustled by the wind created around him. He had just seen Darkstripe die, and for once in his life Whitestorm was not remorseful. Darkstripe was a traitor - no, worse than a traitor to the warrior code. He had no loyalty in him, something that Whitestorm had in plenty. The white warrior sighed and shook his head, and his moment of hesitation was his downfall.

A huge weight slammed into him, bowling him over. He yowled angrily and clawed at the eyes of his attacker, missing, but slicing open the tom's cheeks. He recognized the gigantic tom - who rivaled Tigerstar's size - as Bone, the BloodClan deputy, and his rage grew.

_You filth!_ he yowled silently.

"Get off of me," he hissed, shoving at Bone's belly and rolling him over. Bone bit down hard on Whitestorm's forepaw, who yowled and brought his other paw around, cuffing Bone heavily on the side of his head.

Other BloodClan cats darted in, slicing open Whitestorm's sides. Blood fell like a rainstorm down the white warrior's sides. The crimson tide stained his fur, but he didn't stop charging at Bone, hissing "Cowards!" at the cats who dared not fight him openly.

"Are we cowards, or are you overconfident?" spat Bone, and his next blow sent the weakening Whitestorm down to the ground. A huge paw landed hard on his throat, and another on his chest, pushing the air from his lungs.

Bone smiled at him cruelly and lifted the paw off of Whitestorm's chest. He unsheathed his claws, tilting them so the moonlight played off of them before the white warrior's face. Then he slowly and very calmly slit Whitestorm's throat.

"No!" Whitestorm dimly heard Firestar yowl. _Oh, Firestar. I wish I could continue being loyal to you, helping you be the best leader you can be._

Bone sprang off of him, but he couldn't move. He could only look on through blurry eyes as Bramblepaw and Ashpaw latched onto the BloodClan deputy, hissing and spitting, murder in their eyes. _They will be great warriors,_ thought Whitestorm with a soft smile.

A great flame-colored warrior kneeled beside him, and he recognized Firestar. The leader was covered in blood, and his eyes were terrified.

"Good-bye, Firestar," Whitestorm whispered.

"Whitestorm, no!" Whitestorm could imagine Firestar's thoughts. The great orange leader would be blaming himself for Whitestorm's injuries. "Graystripe, find Cinderpelt!"

"It's too late," Whitestorm murmured. Firestar looked horrorstruck. "I go to hunt with StarClan," added Whitestorm, hoping he broke it to his beloved leader gently enough.

"You can't - the Clan needs you! I need you!"

"You will find others..." Whitestorm gazed pointedly at Graystripe, who looked uncomfortable. Whitestorm smiled gently. "Trust your heart, Firestar. You have always known that Graystripe is the cat StarClan destined to be your deputy."

He wished he could hear those ceremonial words that would declare Graystripe the deputy of ThunderClan, but with his next breath, Whitestorm's spirit left his body.

"Oh, Whitestorm. How I regret never making you _my_ deputy."

Whitestorm looked up, and brightened when he saw his last leader, Bluestar. Her blue-gray fur gleamed with youth that he had not seen for moons. Looking down at himself, he saw that his own fur was bright white again, unstained with age or bloodshed.

"Come with me, Whitestorm," purred Bluestar. "It's your time. It is as you said - Graystripe is Firestar's deputy. ThunderClan will survive."

Whitestorm breathed more easily. "Thank you, Bluestar."

She nodded, smiling. "Come."

He followed her, unafraid. Whitestorm was noble even in death, and he would always look back with fond memories.


	13. Wandering

**- Wandering - **

"Scourge! Turn and face me!"

Scourge whipped around, letting go of the crimson-soaked white cat. _Some warrior that fool was..._he thought, but the thought trailed off as his eyes alit on the flame-colored tom standing confidently before him. "How...I killed you!" Scourge shrieked.

Scourge had seen a lot in his lifetime. This, though...he had killed countless cats with the selfsame dogs' teeth reinforcing his claws. But none of them had ever risen to challenge him again.

"You did," snarled that wretched creature, "but I am a leader with nine lives who fights alongside StarClan. Can you say as much?"

Scourge took a moment to process the meaning of that statement. Did this fool actually believe that he had nine lives? The small black cat must have gone too easy on him. He just hadn't hit him hard enough, hadn't ripped him as thoroughly as he had Tigerstar.

He wouldn't make the same mistake this time.

His nostrils flared and he swung his paw, digging his claws into the white cat's side and flinging him against the huge rock in the clearing. The cat slid down, bloody and limp, and Firestar leapt at him.

Scourge dodged, swift as lightning, and aimed a blow at Firestar's head even as the orange cat raked his claws down his side. He hissed as Firestar dodged the same sort of blow that Scourge thought he'd killed him with. Scourge dropped to the ground and slipped beneath Firestar.

_I'll tear you open like I did that wretched Tigerstar!_

He ripped with his claws, but they brushed past the tips of Firestar's fur as the orange leader leapt away. Scourge hissed again with frustration and leapt to his paws, slashing at Firestar.

They whirled in the deadly dance of blood.

Then Firestar sprang at him, biting him at the base of his tail, and pulled him down. Scourge writhed with him, slashing open Firestar's skin beneath his pelt, trying to get him away. Finally the smaller cat shoved Firestar off and sprang back, panting. With satisfaction Scourge noticed that Firestar was bloodier than he was. A smile played at the corners of his lips cruelly.

Firestar staggered, and then suddenly he crouched, his eyes glazed. Letting out a triumphant yowl, Scourge sprang at him without thinking. The fool was giving up!

The next thing he knew, long teeth were in his throat.

Scourge hung from Firestar's jaws, horrified and shocked. But Scourge never blamed himself. He didn't once think that it was his fault for believing in Firestar's deceptive surrender. This was all Firestar's fault. His next swipe changed into a convulsion of his body, and his angry snarl turned to a nasty bubbling in his throat.

He felt Firestar drop him, and he thudded to the ground. As Scourge's eyes glazed, even he knew he had nowhere to go. His soul would wander restlessly, unable to interfere. He would never wander StarClan's skies, or even the Place of No Stars, because the cat who had killed him was a leader who walked alongside StarClan, and Scourge could not say as much.

* * *

**If you like my writing, please check out my stories "Away From Home" and "Breaking" and pretty please review, especially "Breaking" (non-canon). I'd like to know what you think.**


	14. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**A/N **

**So that was The First Arc! I'm proud of myself for doing it completely (except for Runningwind. I apologize for missing him.)**

**Now, it's time for The New Prophecy.**

**The only deaths in the book **_**Midnight**_** were One-eye, Smallear, and Willowpelt, all before **_**Midnight **_**and potentially in **_**Firestar's Quest**_**, which my bff has borrowed. **

**In **_**Moonrise**_** there are about six deaths. Three of them I'm not doing, and the other three I won't reveal. As for the ones I won't write about, these are them:**

**Larchkit: There isn't much I can go off of for poor Larchkit.  
Dappletail: She makes me sad because she went insane with hunger.  
Sharptooth: I don't even know what he **_**is**_**, let alone want to write about him.**

**So I'm getting started on the other three right now, and after I finish **_**Moonrise**_** and the rest of The New Prophecy, I'll get started on The Power Of Three. And after **_**that**_**...I'll take requests! Aren't you happy? Only after I finish **_**Dark River**_** will I post that I'm accepting your requests, but I'll tell you all about that when that time comes around.**

**Thanks everyone for being loyal reviewers of The First Arc, and I hope you continue reading!**

**(Don't forget to check out **_**Breaking**_** and **_**Away From Home**_**, my other stories! If you want a review from me just review telling me what story of yours you want me to read! I'm already reading one of Niah-Miyoki's that she needs to UPDATE!)**

**Always,  
Gladewing**


	15. Never Look Back

**- Never Look Back -**

He was everywhere. The great beast was ravaging the cave, and there was nothing Star could do about it.

Even if she had tried, the silver tabby knew she would have been useless. She was small and lean, a prey-hunter, not cut out for cave-guarding. She raced around the cave, trying to reach higher ground.

With horror Star watched as a dark tabby cave-guard leaped at Sharptooth's neck, clawing at the thick fur there. Sharptooth gave a tiny shudder, like a ripple of muscle to get rid of a fly, and the cave-guard was flung to the opposite wall, which he collided with in a sickening and bloody crunch.

Star tore her golden eyes away and saw them on the opposite side of the cave - her kits.

She made a run for them, yowling, "My kits! Oh, my kits!"

Before she could reach them, a brown tabby flashed past, and the kits were gone. With relief, Star saw that Flight of Startled Heron had taken both her own kits and Star's to higher ground. Star's offspring would live to be to-bes.

Then, suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.

Looking up, Star almost retched with fear, but she didn't have the time to throw up. She tried to race away from him, from that great face that meant death for any cat that was seeing it clearly. Her paws skidded on the dusty floor and, crouching, she tried to leap -

But just as quickly, Sharptooth's jaws clamped around the lower portion of her body.

She screamed in pure agony as his teeth both broke of her back legs and part of her spine. Her vision grew hazy as her claws scored the floor, trying to bring her from his jaws. He was backing out, about to leave the cave. Star looked up and met Flight's eyes; the brown tabby closed hers and looked away, licking the kits' fur swiftly. Then Star saw the Clan cats. Feathertail was staring at her in pure horror.

Then Sharptooth whipped around to leave, and the force of the turn broke the rest of Star's spine.

Her eyes flew open, and there was no more pain.

She collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "Oh, my kits...Tribe of Endless Hunting, how could you have done this to me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, my daughter, my prey-hunter. You did nothing wrong. It was simply time for you to be reunited with me."

Star looked up sharply and saw a silver tabby who looked remarkably like her - except this she-cat's golden eyes were such wide pools, they looked like miniature sunsets.

"Sun! My mother!" cried Star, scrambling to her paws to touch noses with her mother.

"I have been watching over you, Star," meowed Sun, her eyes glimmering. "I'm sorry I could not make your passing less painful."

"It is already less painful, being here," whispered Star. "But...will Sharptooth..."

"Sharptooth will die," Sun mewed sharply. "And the Tribe will be safe."

Star slumped against her mother in relief.

"Now come, my daughter," whispered Sun. She nodded at a starry path laid out to the sky before them, looking like it was made of many cats' pawsteps.

Star didn't hesitate; she only met Sun's eyes, seeing her own reflected there, and then mother and daughter swept up the starlit path, gasping with joy. Both had been killed in the same way, but while they hunted the starry skies, they would never look back.


	16. The Voices

**- The Voices -**

"No...oh, no," Feathertail whispered, watching as the gigantic tawny lion-cat as it clawed angrily at the floor. She could see Crowpaw, his gray-black fur fluffed out, trying to press himself against the wall and away from Sharptooth's great snapping jaws. She stared, full of horror.

_You...are...chosen..._

Feathertail didn't hear the gentle but insistent voice at first. Her mind was flashing with memories of grumpy Crowpaw, defying Brambleclaw, insulting Squirrelpaw, ignoring Tawnypelt and Stormfur altogether, but...but loving her. Yes, he loved her, and she admitted to herself that she loved him too, prickly though he was.

_You must save him..._

"Oh, Crowpaw, no," she whispered. The gray-black tom's eyes were wide with terror, an emotion that he showed very rarely.

_Look up, Feathertail! It is time!_

Feathertail's eyes looked upward and she fell still. Then she looked at Stormfur, her beloved brother, whose eyes were locked on Crowpaw. "Crowpaw..." she whispered, and Stormfur glanced at her, and the expression on her face must have been strange, because he didn't look away. "I can hear the voices clearly now," she told him softly. "This is for me to do."

She bunched her muscles and then, as if possessed by some angry spirit, she leapt upward, her claws outstretched until they grated horribly against a stalactite. The jutting rock broke with her weight, and then she was freefalling. She thought for a half a moment that she would hit Crowpaw, but no - StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting let her know what was going to happen.

The spike of rock plunged into Sharptooth, and the silvery she-cat plunged to the floor beside him. She struck the ground, jarring her bones and muscles, and fell instantly into darkness.

"Oh, Feathertail!" came a soft cry of horror.

She blinked open her eyes and saw her brother. Stormfur had horror and fear in his eyes, and beyond him, Sharptooth had stopped moving.

"You must go on without me, brother," she whispered, and his eyes widened. "Save the Clan."

Then she turned her head to Crowpaw, trying to convey all her love and adoration and desire for him in one long look. "Think you have nine lives, do you?" she joked feebly. "I saved you once...don't make me save you again..."

"Oh, Feathertail, no!" whispered Crowpaw. "Don't leave me..."

"I won't...I'll always be with you, I promise."

Then she slipped again into darkness.

"Oh, Feathertail," came the first voice again, and she blinked open her eyes. She spotted a she-cat that looked remarkably like her, and gasped.

"Silverstream! My mother!" she cried.

"Yes," murmured the beautiful silver tabby. "Come to me, Feathertail. I must show you something." As Feathertail approached her, Silverstream turned her head. Feathertail saw two winding, starry paths and wondered, _Which do I take?_

"Look further," Silverstream meowed.

Further along the starry pawprints, Feathertail finally spotted it - the bridge between the two paths.

"You walk in two skies now, my daughter. The Tribe of Endless Hunting's skies, and StarClan's," whispered Silverstream. "Both Clans of ancestors accept you as their own. You are honored."

Feathertail couldn't find the words to speak. She was in awe. _This is...amazing. More than I could have dreamed of..._

"Come with me to StarClan first," urged Silverstream.

"Of course, Mother," murmured Feathertail. Mother and daughter padded quietly, sides touching, up the right path, bypassing the starry bridge and leaving the earthly world.


	17. Sleep and Innocence

**- Sleep and Innocence - **

The tiny gray kit huddled closer to her mother's side, burying her face in Ferncloud's fur. She was too young to understand her brother's death, but she still missed Larchkit's warmth, especially now.

It was so _cold_.

At first, the cold kept her awake. The wind rushed bitterly through her fur, making her eyes sting and chilling her paws. She closed her eyes and tucked her paws beneath her, trying to make herself warm, but days without much food had made her fur thin and her skin brittle.

But slowly, the cold made her eyes close in a more relaxed way. Hollykit thought it was getting warmer, and she gladly submitted to the freeze. Her tense muscles loosened and she leaned against her mother's side as she relaxed.

She blinked open her eyes, standing and stretching. Ferncloud was still breathing shortly in her sleep.

"Time to explore!" squeaked Hollykit, bounding away, not realizing that part of her still lay with Ferncloud, unmoving.

She dashed around the camp, overjoyed that she had it all to herself; every other cat still slept. Then she saw the sole cat sitting at the top of a rock. She stared in astonishment, immediately recognizing the dark tabby fur of her sister, Larchkit.

"Larchkit!" she cried. "Where've you been? It's been cold without you!"

"Come here, Hollykit."

Larchkit's voice sounded older, wiser, kinder - kind of like Mother's, so Hollykit padded forward, smiling broadly. "Can we go play? It's been a long time..."

"Hollykit, you'll be playing with me in a very different place now," murmured Larchkit, her eyes sparkling like they used to. "Will you come with me to StarClan?"

"StarClan? I get to see StarClan!" exclaimed Hollykit, covering the distance between herself and her sister in a few bounds. "Come on, Larchkit, let's go!"

"You won't be coming back," Larchkit reminded her.

Hollykit nodded, and her voice, for the first time in her short life, sounded sad, unnaturally so for a kit. "I know, Larchkit."

Larchkit smiled at her. "Then let's go."

The two kits padded away from the camp. "Will Birchkit...?" Hollykit trailed away, unable to stand the thought of her brother joining her so soon, though part of her willed him to come and play.

"He stays with Mother."

"'Kay."

And with that, Hollykit leapt at Larchkit, and the two of them rolled like innocent kits again, watched over by a green-eyed tabby she-cat - Brindleface, their grandmother. And she would watch over them forevermore.


	18. Belonging

_I haven't replied to reviews in a while...  
Niah Miyoki: I wuv Whitestorm, too XD Yeah, Feathertail's awesome, and poor Graystripe!  
Crowfeather's Girl: Thanks, and I'm sorry I missed Runningwind. Sorry Running!  
Rubyheart481: Thanks so much. I'm glad I can impact my readers!  
tabby-tiger-demon: Thanks!  
Applecreek: Well, seeing as how she got taken by Sharpclaw, I imagine she didn't survive.  
Purple-Arsenic: Not where I read, but oh well._

**- Belonging - **

Mudfur could no longer speak, such was the sickness that had taken him over. Rain was dripping onto him, but he couldn't move, and it would hurt too much for others to move him.

He looked up, and with sadness in her eyes, his apprentice Mothwing stared back at him. He smiled feebly. She would make a great medicine cat. His Clan had doubted her so strongly, but when he'd found that moth's wing, every cat had accepted her. He wanted to touch his nose to hers to reassure her, but he couldn't lift his head.

Then there were Leafpaw and Cinderpelt. The light tabby apprentice would make an amazing medicine cat as well, and Cinderpelt's closeness to her charge showed how much she believed in her.

Firestar stood nearby, too. Even the great, flame-colored leader of ThunderClan had come to see his passing? Maybe Mudfur was a cat close to StarClan, but he felt honored anyway. He couldn't manage a purr.

Runningnose, a small gray-and-white cat, formerly the ShadowClan medicine cat, leaned forward. "Go swiftly to StarClan, my friend," he meowed softly. "We will look after your Clanmates."

The dark gray she-cat Cinderpelt leaned down and rested her muzzle on Mudfur's side. He felt comforted by her cool touch.

Mudfur drew in a painful, shuddering breath, and as it left him, his eyes closed. He heard a vibrating purr and opened his eyes.

"Crookedstar!" he cried, scrambling painlessly to his paws.

The huge light tabby purred even more loudly. "My medicine cat. Are you ready to join us?"

Mudfur looked back at the rain-soaked cats that gathered around his body. "I don't know, Crookedstar. I'm not sure...I mean, they can take care of themselves..."

"Exactly," Crookedstar rumbled. "There will be death, but for now, you mustn't worry. You were old and sick, Mudfur, and now you are young and healthy and hale. Come run with us in StarClan's territory."

Mudfur nodded his head. "I've already run in StarClan's territory," he purred. "This will just be another jaunt."

"Another jaunt," Crookedstar echoed. "I like the way you put it. Come, my medicine cat."

Mudfur followed his leader away, the rain falling but not splashing on their pelts. A purr rumbled from the medicine cat's throat. He was finally where he belonged.


	19. Caught Off Guard

**- Caught Off Guard -**

_Great StarClan! A pheasant!_

Shrewpaw's eyes locked on the big bird, his narrow muzzle twitching with excitement. Thornclaw touched his tail to his apprentice's side. "I'm going that way," the golden brown warrior whispered.

The dark brown apprentice nodded, not really paying attention. That bird was going to feed half his Clan, and it was going to be _him_ that caught it!

He crept forward slowly. The pheasant was unaware of his presence, and he wasn't about to tell it he was there. His tail twitched uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the bird's small head shot up.

Shrewpaw cursed inwardly. His tail had brushed a leaf.

Both cat and bird took off, racing across the forest and grassy plain. "No! StarClan, no! Stop!" he yowled uselessly, chasing after it, paws outstretched.

He didn't notice the bright, glaring light glinting off his eyes in the setting sun. He didn't notice the hard black pavement beneath his paws. He never even noticed the great roar of the monster. Such was his focus on the bird that could ease his Clan's starvation.

He never felt a thing.

"Come on, Shrewpaw, wake up!" yowled a loud, complaining voice.

"Get on with it, then. Open your eyes."

Slowly, the dark brown tom blinked open his eyes and lifted his narrow muzzle. A familiar gray kit, along with a dark tabby. They had the same form as the she-cat that had mothered all three of them.

"Larchkit? Hollykit?" Shrewpaw scrambled to his feet. "What's going on?"

"You're comin' with us," meowed Hollykit brightly.

"To StarClan," added Larchkit more gently.

Shrewpaw's eyes flew wide. "No, no. I can't do that. What about Thornclaw? And Ferncloud? This has to be a dream. StarClan wouldn't take so much away from Mother."

Hollykit and Larchkit only blinked slowly at him.

"No! Why is StarClan doing this? Why are so many of us dying?"

"StarClan can't stop it," meowed Larchkit, tipping her head to one side. She sounded so matter-of-fact. Shrewpaw had to believe her.

"So," he mewed hesitantly, "I really am dead?"

"You really are," meowed Hollykit.

Shrewpaw nodded slowly. "Will Ferncloud be okay? I'm the third kit she's lost."

"No, she won't be okay," Larchkit told him. "Not yet, at any rate. But Birchkit won't be joining us anytime soon, I promise, so she'll heal."

"As long as she heals," murmured Shrewpaw. "Where do we go from here?"

Larchkit smiled gently, and Hollykit bounced to her paws.

"To the stars," they said together, and Shrewpaw followed his two younger sisters away.


	20. Abysmal

**- Abysmal -**

Smokepaw wasn't at all sure that this whole journey would be worth it. It seemed as cold and prey-bare in these mountains as it had been back home. He gave a great sigh and his mother Nightwing pressed against him.

"It'll all be better once we've crossed," she promised.

"Do you think we'll see the Tribe cats?" Tawnypelt's stories of the Tribe had always fascinated him. How could one Tribe live alone? It was the natural order to have warring Clans. And how did they live in the _mountains_, these cold, inhospitable juts of rock?

"You just might," purred Nightwing tiredly.

"I hope we do!" Smokepaw bounced excitedly, his light black fur rustled by a chilled breeze. "That would so cool! Come on, Mother, admit it'd be cool."

"It would be," agreed Nightwing, licking Smokepaw's ear.

Ahead of him, Talonpaw, another ShadowClan apprentice, turned and took a playful swipe at him. "I hope you're not thinking about ditching ShadowClan for the Tribe!"

"Never!" cried Smokepaw vehemently.

And then there came the loud _CRACK_.

Talonpaw realized what was going on before Smokepaw did. His eyes flew wide and he screamed, "No!"

Smokepaw looked down. The ledge he stood on had cracked cleanly across, making an edge between himself and his mother, Nightwing, who had drifted away to speak with another cat. "Mother," he whispered, and she turned as if attuned to his small voice. Then the ledge broke, and his hind legs went down.

Wailing with terror, Smokepaw's forepaws scrabbled at the ledge that remained. He could see Russetfur - the cat Nightwing had been speaking with - leaping over the black she-cat, paws outstretched.

"Hold on," she told him. "Just hold on."

But his paws were slipping, and even as Russetfur landed lightly on all four paws, more rocks fell. She sprang back, and he saw it from an angle looking up - he was falling.

Freefalling.

The force of the fall killed him before he hit the ground. He woke on the ground and leapt to his paws instantly. He couldn't hear anything. It was deathly silent.

"Come, son."

Smokepaw stared. He didn't recognize this old, raggedy black tom, but apparently the wise-looking warrior recognized him.

"My name's Nightstar," he explained, "and it's time for you to come with me to StarClan, son."

Smokepaw didn't say anything. He felt like he had lost his voice. He only followed after Nightstar, who murmured at him comfortingly, called him "son" warmly, brought him to StarClan.

It was a long journey. Nightstar explained, "We haven't learned how to walk new skies yet," and then he paused at a starlit path. "This is it, Smokepaw. Time to say your last goodbyes, son."

Smokepaw nodded. He turned to look at the path he had tread, and saw that he left starry pawprints. He smiled slightly. "I'm ready, Nightstar."


	21. A Blessing

**- A Blessing -**

"Firestar's here," mewed a familiar voice. "I'll wait outside."

Tallstar flicked his ear in recognition. "Is that Brambleclaw?" he rasped. "Don't go. You should hear what I have to say as well."

Through hooded eyes Tallstar could see Brambleclaw's unease as he came back to sit beside Firestar, but what the WindClan leader had to say was important. He knew full well he was dying, and there was something of extreme importance that he had to take care of. Mudclaw could not be WindClan's leader.

He knew they would think he wasn't well, that he wasn't thinking straight, but Tallstar was perfectly lucid. He knew what he intended to do.

"Firestar, I have to thank you," he rasped weakly. "You have saved my Clan."

He ignored Firestar's murmur, because he knew what the flame-colored warrior would say - that he didn't save WindClan, he only helped...

"And Brambleclaw, you journeyed a long way, facing many dangers, to find this place for us. Even Graystripe, may he walk in peace with StarClan, would agree that you will make a worthy deputy of ThunderClan."

Now Tallstar ignored Brambleclaw's gasp. Tallstar hadn't anything to lose from impudence.

There was a long period of silence, in which the only sound Tallstar could hear was his own labored breathing, then Brambleclaw murmured, "It wasn't just me, it was all of us together..."

"You need to rest, Tallstar," came Firestar's gentle voice.

"Rest will do me no good now," meowed Tallstar, flicking his ear and gazing at Firestar.

"You will be a noble warrior among StarClan," Firestar murmured, pressing his muzzle gently to Tallstar's.

Tallstar tried to show his gratitude with his eyes, without having to speak the words. "Before then, I must say...I must say..." He choked like something was caught in his throat. His claws extended and pierced the leaf litter beneath him as he tried to cough it out; but then, gasping, he regained his breath. "Where's Onewhisker?"

"I'll go help Barkface find him," volunteered Brambleclaw.

"Quickly," rasped Tallstar.

Tallstar remained silent in Brambleclaw's absence, regaining some strength to make his announcement. When Onewhisker and Brambleclaw returned, he began to speak.

"Before I go to StarClan, there is something I must do," he began. "Firestar, Onewhisker, listen. Mudclaw is a brave warrior, but he is not the right cat to lead WindClan. In these past moons we have learned that the future of our Clans lies in friendship. I want no rivalry between ThunderClan and WindClan after I am gone. We must have no enemies. But this will not happen if Mudclaw rules the Clan." He paused and rasped in a breath. "I can still choose the cat who will lead WindClan after me. From this moment Mudclaw is no longer deputy of WindClan."

He could hear their gasps, _feel_ their shock.

"I say these words...before StarClan. WindClan must have...a new deputy. Onewhisker, you must lead the Clan when I am gone."

He _knew_ they weren't the right words and he begged StarClan for forgiveness, but he no longer had the strength to say them correctly.

"Tallstar, _no_!" came Onewhisker's gasp of horror.

"I am grateful to have brought the Clan this far...Onewhisker, treat our friends well when you lead this Clan. Remember everything ThunderClan has done for us."

Then he stood up and walked away from them, leaving his body behind him. All of StarClan was there to greet him, smiling down on him gently.

"It is a blessing to be here at last."

"And a blessing to have you, Tallstar, leader of WindClan," they whispered, their voices like leaves on the breeze, and then he bounded forward to join their ranks.


	22. Only What's Best

**- Only What's Best -**

"Traitor!" Brambleclaw gasped.

Mudclaw snarled and bared his teeth. Didn't this fool of a warrior know that he didn't care anymore? There was nothing left to care about. The warrior code had been shattered by Tallstar's actions, and whatever Brambleclaw - or any other cat - called him, he intended to receive his retribution.

He parted his jaws and leaned so his was barely a mouse-length from Brambleclaw's throat. He was aggressive, violent - _angry_. He could hear Brambleclaw's blood pulsing.

And then - a huge paw swung, knocking Mudclaw in the side of the head. Hurt and unbalanced, Mudclaw fell to his side, and saw Hawkfrost coming. He hissed furiously and rolled with the dark warrior's next impact, grappling with him in the reeds. Hawkfrost ended up on top, one gigantic paw on Mudclaw's throat, the other on his chest, pushing him down into the sucking, icy wet mud.

Mudclaw watched in shocked rage as Hawkfrost looked up to gaze sorrowfully at Brambleclaw.

"You saved my life." Brambleclaw's voice quivered, but it was a simple statement. "Why? Why me and not him?"

Mudclaw writhed, trying to free a paw to slice down Hawkfrost's stomach. Somehow he knew what was coming. This bloody traitor would say it was all _his_ fault, that he _knew_ Mudclaw was wrong...

"You _helped_ Mudclaw!" cried Brambleclaw. "You attacked WindClan, but now..."

"You're my brother," said Hawkfrost simply. "How could I let him kill you?"

Brambleclaw looked taken aback. Mudclaw hissed and intensified his attempts to free himself.

"Mudclaw persuaded me to help," meowed Hawkfrost. Mudclaw stopped moving and narrowed his eyes, waiting for Hawkfrost's explanation. "He promised to leave RiverClan in peace."

"Tell him what else!" Mudclaw yowled. "How you said you'd help if I made you WindClan's deputy! How about you tell him that, you bloody - and how I'd help you take over RiverClan! Did you leave that out on purpose?"

"What?" Hawkfrost's eyes widened. He may have looked shocked to Brambleclaw, but all Mudclaw saw was false innocence. "If I am to lead RiverClan one day, it will be by the warrior code, or not at all."

"Liar!" shrieked Mudclaw. "Fox dung!"

"I did only what I thought was right," meowed Hawkfrost beseechingly to his precious brother. Mudclaw felt sickened.

Mudclaw made his move. He hurled himself upward and flung Hawkfrost back, hissing. He faced Brambleclaw, who immediately fluffed out his muddy fur, ready. Mudclaw turned to look at Hawkfrost, who had quickly recovered - and the mottled brown WindClan cat turned and fled. He knew he was outnumbered, and he was not mousebrained.

He raced along the shore, the wind whipping through his fur and needling his skin, then, suddenly, there was a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning.

Mudclaw saw the tree coming, but he could not escape it.

He turned to flee, but the tree crashed down on him. Whether it broke his back or pierced him through, he did not know, because he died instantly.

"Oh, Mudclaw. Couldn't you understand what was best for WindClan?"

Mudclaw stood up and shook himself. "Tallstar," he growled levelly.

"I apologize for wrecking your dreams, Mudclaw, but there was too much to lose if you declared war on ThunderClan," meowed Tallstar, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

Mudclaw shook his head slowly. "This is something I won't forgive, Tallstar."

The black-and-white leader didn't say anything else. He looked choked. Then he murmured, "Come. You still have a place in StarClan."

Mudclaw watched him leave. He would find his own path, just like he had against Onewhisker, but this time, it would have a good ending. He had his place in StarClan.


	23. Reunion

**- Reunion - **

The pain blinded him, deafened him. His body was numb except for his hindlegs, which burned with excruciating agony. He blinked unwanted tears from his eyes.

"Sootfur, over here!"

The black warrior lifted his head and looked around him, unable to pinpoint the owner of the voice. Then he spotted Squirrelflight a couple of tail-lengths away. She dashed to him and pushed him up to his paws. His back legs dragging uselessly, Sootfur leaned on the younger warrior, allowing her to help him closer to the brambles.

_Great StarClan...I'm dying._

In all honesty, he hadn't thought he would - or maybe he had hoped that he _wouldn't_ - die like this. What warrior doesn't hope for a noble death, in a fair fight? But no...the badger's paw had come down so hard on his hindquarters that his bones were irreparably shattered.

"You can get out this way!" cried Squirrelflight.

Blinking blood out of his eyes, Sootfur looked for what she spoke of. All he saw was the wall with his befuddled mind. Then he realized. "Can't...can't climb," he whispered.

"You have to!" gasped Squirrelflight.

She pushed him to the wall. He tried lifting his forepaws to it, but his hindlegs wouldn't support him. She held him up while he tried to claw his way up. He was halfway there when he fell, hard, with a shrill shriek of agony as he landed on his already-crunched hindlegs.

That same moment, there was a thunderous _crack_ as the wall of brambles broke, and a badger lumbered through. Lifting his head weakly, Sootfur managed a snarl. He swung one paw across the badger's muzzle, slicing open the fur, and spotted Squirrelflight leap forward and claw the badger from behind. The badger reared up, flinging Squirrelflight into the wall.

Scrabbling with his forepaws, Sootfur drew himself away from the badger's next blow and with his next swipe he ripped off the badger's ear. He gave a gasp of satisfaction as the badger reared back again.

But when it came down, its claw glinted and ripped across Sootfur's throat.

"My son. How I had hoped I would not see you here so soon."

When Sootfur lifted his eyes, he barely recognized the young, vibrant warrior before him. How beautiful Whitestorm had been in his youth! He smiled at Sootfur and stepped forward to brush his muzzle along his son's. Sootfur felt warm inside as he finally saw his father again.

"Willowpelt took wonderful care of you," purred Whitestorm.

"I should say so," murmured a gentle voice. A pale gray cat with unusual blue eyes stepped forward and rasped her tongue over Sootfur's ear.

"And Longtail and Thornclaw were great mentors to you," added Whitestorm. "But it is time for you to come home."

"May your brother and sister not join us anytime soon," whispered Willowpelt wryly.

Sootfur walked between his mother and father - both of whom had left his life too soon - as they padded up the starry path, and though he knew he would miss his worldly life - he had never had an apprentice, or anything - he finally felt at home.


	24. Reborn

**- Reborn - **

"StarClan, help me!"

Cinderpelt's voice sounded eerie to her own ears. The badger was lumbering toward her, its beady black eyes fixed on her face, its jaws slavering like a dog's. She hissed furiously, backing away to lead it away from Sorreltail, who suppressed a cry as another contraction gripped her.

"StarClan, please, no - not like this -"

She knew it was coming. She knew that this was what StarClan had foretold last time she had spoken with them. But she hadn't known it would be badgers.

She let out another shriek of fear as the badger drew closer, picking up speed. She lifted a forepaw and slashed it across the creature's nose; then she ducked down and rolled beneath it as it leaped awkwardly. She bit down into its hindleg - then its other hindleg came down hard on her side.

It crushed through her stomach and broke her back on the other side. Cinderpelt let out a choked, bloody cough, her eyes flying wide, not in pain, but in shock.

A moment before the badger turned to lash at Cinderpelt, Leafpool and Crowfeather were clawing at its flanks. Cinderpelt's eyes closed, and she listened to the furious noises as they drove the badger from the nursery. She let out a small sigh.

"Cinderpelt. Cinderpelt, it's me, Leafpool...please wake up..."

She was awake, just so...so _tired_, and the agony was unbearable. She blinked open her eyes and murmured, "Leafpool. I prayed you would return."

"I should never have left!" cried Leafpool, anguished. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. Please don't die! Please!"

She scooped up a pawful of moss and pressed it to Cinderpelt's wound, which was bloody, like a tide of scarlet against her rock-colored fur. She began listing off treatments, which Cinderpelt wasn't paying attention to, except to notice how well her apprentice had memorized their uses.

"Stop, Leafpool," she interrupted gently. "I'm on my way to join StarClan."

"No! Don't say that!" Leafpool scrabbled up more moss, but Cinderpelt knew the tide of blood wouldn't stop flowing until after she was already gone.

"It's all right. StarClan told me already that they would come for me soon. This is the fate they have laid down for me."

Leafpool stopped moving. "You _knew_? You knew you were going to die and you didn't tell me?"

"It was my destiny. Not yours."

"But you knew I was meeting Crowfeather! You knew that if I went away, ThunderClan would be without a medicine cat! Cinderpelt, you should have _forced_ me to stay."

Cinderpelt blinked slowly at her beloved apprentice. "Leafpool, I would never force you to do anything. You must want to be a medicine cat with all your heart."

"I do." The tears dripped down Leafpool's cheeks. "I do."

"You are a wonderful medicine cat," Cinderpelt told her, and she meant every word. Leafpool would be the shining star of ThunderClan's medicine cat lineage.

"No, I'm not. I went away and left you, and my Clan. Oh, Cinderpelt, I'm so sorry!"

"There isn't anything to forgive," murmured Cinderpelt before Leafpool could go on. "I'm happy to join the ranks of StarClan, knowing my Clan will be cared for."

"No! _No_! I should have been here - I should -"

"It would have made no difference. We cannot change our destiny. We can only accept it for what it is." Cinderpelt saw only Leafpool's translucent outline now. Past her, she could see StarClan, every single one of them smiling at her gently. "StarClan waits for me now, Leafpool. Goodbye."

She didn't hear Leafpool's response, for her eyes closed and opened, and she padded forward, her hindleg healed, to meet Bluestar.

"Wait, Cinderpelt." Bluestar waved her tail, and their surroundings became visible. Sorreltail was still having contractions. "There is something all of StarClan would do for the bravest medicine cat that the forest has ever seen." Cinderpelt almost protested against the praise, but Bluestar's eyes were so serious, her voice was quieted. "Wait and watch the kits be born."

One was large and tawny; the next to come was pale, bracken-colored like her father; the third was a white-splashed tortoiseshell, the spitting image of her mother.

"Now comes your choice, Cinderpelt. Would you join the ranks of the living again, as a new cat, your old memories buried? Would you watch over your Clan once more?"

Cinderpelt hesitated only a moment, and that was to think about the loss of her memories. She wouldn't remember Leafpool or...or Firestar...

Then she nodded decisively. "I will. I will relearn those memories, and I will love my Clan as I do now."

Bluestar smiled. "A worthy answer, Cinderpelt. Close your eyes."

She did so, and suddenly felt a tingling throughout her whole body. It felt like stars were bursting to life in her fur, burning her veins - but it was pleasant. She was lifted from the ground, swirled into the stars...

And somewhere, somewhere very far away, it seemed...a newborn gray kit opened her blue eyes.


	25. Alone

**- Alone -**

What was the bloody foxheart waiting for? Hawkfrost suppressed a snarl as Brambleclaw closed his eyes, obviously lost in some softhearted memory. As for Hawkfrost, the white-belled, dark brown tom was left staring at Firestar, who had fallen still in the foxtrap in an attempt to keep it from digging in any more deeply.

"Six lives..." came Brambleclaw's murmur.

Hawkfrost leapt upon his chance. "That's right," he hissed. "This is our chance to take revenge on Firestar for our father's death. He could have tried to stop Scourge, but he just stood there and watched Tigerstar die, over and over and over."

From the look in Brambleclaw's eyes - a look of shock - Hawkfrost knew he had said something wrong, but what, he did not know. Hawkfrost repressed yet another snarl of impatience. This was their chance! Their chance to continue their father's legacy! And not only Hawkfrost was helping him achieve this. It was also that fool from ThunderClan, that -

"No." Brambleclaw's voice was steady, bringing Hawkfrost back to the present with an unpleasant start. "I won't do it."

Hawkfrost's jaw dropped.

The dark tabby before him leapt for Firestar, and Hawkfrost's heart thumped again - but the foxheart was only scrabbling at the dirt, trying to free him from the foxtrap that held him. "Keep still, Firestar!" The dirt flew, and in disgust, Hawkfrost sidestepped it. "I'll have you out of this in a heartbeat."

A yowl split the air. Hawkfrost knew it was Tigerstar, voicing his fury, and his only loyal son sprang forward, knocking Brambleclaw aside and pinning him down. "Coward!" Hawkfrost snarled. "Keep away and I'll kill him myself if I have to!"

Brambleclaw thrust upward and flung Hawkfrost away. The brown warrior lay there, panting, trying to suck in breath. _You coward! You liar! You traitor!_ He flung the insults at his half-brother mentally, without the breath to voice them out loud.

He heard Firestar draw in breath.

_He's freed him!_

Hawkfrost sprang to his paws and leapt at Brambleclaw again. His half-brother dodged, and Hawkfrost only got a pawful of fur as he raked his claws down his side.

"Traitor!" he spat. "You're a traitor to everything our father planned! You were never strong enough to be like him."

"I don't want to be like him," snapped Brambleclaw.

"Then you're a fool, and stupid, too. You never realized that this was a test. It was Tigerstar's idea." _And a bloody good one at that! _thought Hawkfrost. "He said that if you really deserved power, you would do _anything_ to get it."

"Even kill my Clan leader?" The ThunderClan cat had the audacity to look shocked.

"Especially that, but you're as weak as our dear father feared. We have great plans for the forest, and you could have been a part of them, but we don't need you."

Hawkfrost couldn't possibly let him live now. Any affection he'd had for his half-brother and friend had disappeared. He knew too much, would let on too much to others, and he had to be dispatched.

"Go back to RiverClan," panted Brambleclaw. "You're my brother. I don't want to hurt you."

"Because you're weak!" Hawkfrost hissed. "You care more for kin than for power. But _I_ don't."

This time when he leaped, he managed to carry Brambleclaw off his paws. He leaned close, icy blue eyes glaring into hot amber ones. He dug his claws in and leaned close, ready to tear out his half-brother's throat. He closed his eyes, glorying in the kill. He tilted his head to listen to Brambleclaw's pulse - it was hot and quick beneath his skin, the blood flowing freely in his veins as his heart pumped it through.

He never saw the stick.

He drew back, ready to taste that blood pounding through the veins, and lunged. And he felt the stake drive through his throat. His cry of triumph turned into a bloody, gurgling cough.

"Hawkfrost!" gasped Brambleclaw as Hawkfrost fell away. "I - I didn't want this!"

Hawkfrost pushed himself to his paws. Blood poured freely down his throat, soaking his paws even as he staggered closer to his brother. "Fool!" he rasped; blood spattered from the wound. "Do you think I did this alone? Do you think you're safe within your own Clan? Think again!"

_Because I was helped,_ he growled inwardly. _You fool, you are so alone in your own world..._

"What do you mean?" demanded Brambleclaw. "_Who_ do you mean? Tell me, Hawkfrost!"

Hawkfrost collapsed over on his side, splashing into the shallow water of the lake, and the cold fire in his ice blue eyes died as the lakewater drifted over and around him.

He opened his eyes and stared into the dark forest where he had visited so many times. Tigerstar was not here to lead him in. He narrowed his eyes and padded confidently forward.

He may have been completely alone, but he wouldn't give up now.


	26. AUTHOR'S NOTE: REQUESTS

**A/N**

**Like, OMFG! I finished!**

**(I apologize, God. I should not have entered 'F' before thine name.)**

**Okay, I'm sure all y'all are saying, "Now hold up, Gladewing. Last time I checked, the Erins came out with two more books, titled 'The Sight' and 'Dark River'."**

**That they did, young padawans. [Sp?! However, they have not indeed published four more books that would, yes, complete the Power of Three series! And a lotta people haven't read the PoTs yet anyway. So I'm not doing them just yet, but worry not, I will get to them, most likely when I'm quite bored of boredom.**

**Now, for what's really important.**

**REQUESTS**

**So, what are the requirements for you to request?**

**No, wait, back up. What the bloody, uh, opposite-of-StarClan are you requesting?**

**Well, you can request one of several things.**

**1. A pairing. I don't really care what kind. I'm so bored nowadays that I'll do any pairing you can come up with. Preferably two cats already in the Warriors series that I'm familiar with. (Doesn't have to be TomxShe-cat.)**

**2. A death. Just tell me the cat's name and how the cat dies. Preferably one already in the Warriors series that I'm familiar with. (Doesn't have to be dead yet.)**

**3. Hmm...it would appear that that was it.**

**So now - yes, NOW! The requirements! **

**(I think I had too much sugar for brekkie this morn, y'all.)**

**1. The name[s  
2. The circumstances**

**That's it, y'all. For a pairing, the circumstances have to do with their current relationship. For a death, the circumstances pretty much mean how they die. If you don't fill in Numbah Two, then I'll do it myself and I can't guarantee you'll like it, though I'll try! Oh yeah, and I'd really rather do cats already in the Warriors series, no matter what book. If you really want me to do one of your OC's, then you have to submit more than just the name - I need detailed personality and appearance if you want me to get it right.**

**I hope people request, because I haven't gotten many reviews lately. (You guys are gonna make me cry.) And since I haven't gotten any reviews...(Sniffle) I'm gonna go work on The Sunset Chronicles Book One: When They Took Over. But come on, people! You know you want to send one in! If I don't get any requests, I'll probably do sumfink myself, because I'm that bored.**

**Yes. I am.**

**Now send some in! Oh, and I hope you loved reading "A Starlit Path" as much as I loved writing it! It's not over just yet - there's still The Power of Three to do, which I'll post as chapters above all the requests. But anyway, until that time comes, I really liked going through the series again and reliving the dramatic moments, and I hope you did, too. There will be many more to come if you go "Click!" and send in a request, eh, eh?**

**Always,  
Gladewing**


	27. One More Day With You

_For Niah-Miyoki  
_**- One More Day With You -**

Fireheart could barely hear the roar of the monster over the own roaring in his ears as he screamed, "Cinderpaw, no!" He raced forward, his paws practically flying across the ground as he leaped for his apprentice, who crouched, frozen in fear. Out of the corner of his wide green eye Fireheart could see the monster drawing closer. He gave one last mighty leap, his muscles burning and his heart thumping, and snagged his claws in Cinderpaw's fur, ripping her out of the monster's path even as it swerved.

"Cinderpaw," he whispered, panting. "Please tell me you're okay."

The dark gray tabby gazed up at him, her blue eyes full of fear, and gave a small and weak smile. "Just missing a bit of fur," she joked weakly.

He licked her rapidly across her face until she purred tiredly with amusement and pushed him back.

"I'm okay, Fireheart. I promise."

"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," Fireheart whispered, gazing into her deep blue eyes. "I...I don't know what I would have done."

"But you didn't lose me," Cinderpaw murmured, licking him gently on his nose.

"What's going on here?"

Glancing up, Fireheart felt immense relief - and yet annoyance - to see his best friend, Graystripe. The dark gray warrior dropped his mouse and raced across to them. "Are you guys okay? What happened?"

Fireheart realized with some embarrassment that he was standing over Cinderpaw with his paws planted on either side of her face. Awkwardly he moved to the side. "She nearly got hit by a monster," he murmured. "I got her out of the way in time, though."

"Bless StarClan!" Graystripe exclaimed. "Cinderpaw, can you walk?"

"Actually, my legs are shaky," Cinderpaw admitted.

"It's probably shock," meowed Graystripe knowingly.

"Graystripe, you had better take that mouse back to camp," meowed Fireheart suddenly and meaningfully. Graystripe looked at his best friend with surprise in his eyes, which changed to understanding and knowing when he saw what was in Fireheart's green eyes.

"Yeah, you're right," he meowed. "Cinderpaw, should I tell Yellowfang?"

"No...I'm fine."

" 'Kay." Graystripe turned and quickly padded away, snatching up his mouse as he went.

"Fireheart..." Cinderpaw slowly and shakily got to her paws. "You know that if I had died, I would've always watched over you in StarClan, and I would have waited for you."

"But you didn't die," meowed Fireheart vehemently.

Cinderpaw purred. "No, I didn't. And I'm glad. Because that means I can spend more time with you. Just one more day with you would lift my heart."

"Cinderpaw..." Fireheart licked her gently over the ear. "I shouldn't have waited until now to say it. I shouldn't have waited until you...had a near-death experience. I'm sorry...I love you."

Cinderpaw's response was immediate. "Great StarClan, you furball! I love you so much I was going to pop!" she cried, and Fireheart laughed as she rubbed her head against his chest.

"You know what," he purred. "It's almost time for your warrior ceremony."

Her eyes shone. "I know. And you know what the best thing is?"

"What's that?" he whispered, winding around her slim, sleek body.

"I get to spend it with you."

* * *

**Did you like it? It was a little rushed but I really hope you like it...Hmm, I wonder what Cinderpaw's warrior name would be...I read a FirexCinder story called A Twist in Time by Zana-Bluefire that named her Cinderfrost, and "Cinderfrost" is now one of main OC's. Anyway, hope this pleased you, Niah-Miyoki, and thanks for reviewing!**


	28. Mystery

_For Crowfeather's Girl  
_**- Mystery -**

Runningwind brushed against Mousefur nervously. "Something smells strange."

Mousefur's golden-brown apprentice, Thornpaw, lifted his muzzle and opened his jaws. "I don't know...it smells kind o familiar," he admitted.

Runningwind took an uneasy step backward and flicked his tail toward the forest. "Let's go back to camp."

The three of them turned and padded swiftly back into the shadowy forest. Runningwind was filled with anxiety. Thornpaw had been right; the scent had been strange, but weirdly familiar, and that only made him even more nervous. The swift tabby picked up the pace, and quickly Mousefur and Thornpaw matched it was they went along silently.

_Crack._

Runningwind stopped and turned to Mousefur, who he identified by her scent - the shadows were too dark to see. "Did you hear that?"

A dark chuckle suddenly sounded. The next thing he knew, Runningwind was caught up in a whirlwind of leaf litter and fur. He yowled with pain as claws raked down his side, then he shrieked, "Mousefur, Thornpaw, RUN!" He could barely hear their pawsteps receding as he clawed at his attacker's face.

"You're a fool, and a weak one at that. You were a perfect target."

Runningwind lifted himself up and slapped the cat across the face with outstretched claws, then leaped nimbly backward. "Who are you?"

"Oh, you know me. My scent's only changed a little since my _banishment_."

Runningwind gasped. "Tigerclaw! Get out of ThunderClan territory!"

"And who is going to make me?" Tigerclaw chuckled, stepping forward out of the shadows. "_You_?"

The swift tabby took another step backward, trying to quickly calculate an escape route. He knew he was faster than Tigerclaw, but he had to confuse the great dark tabby somehow. He peered around him into the forest behind, and knew he could lose Tigerclaw if he scrambled up a tree in the darkness.

He bunched himself up for the leap, his muscles rippling - then he sprang.

Tigerclaw had obviously anticipated the move. He stretched up on his hind legs and batted Runningwind back down to the ground like the tabby was a bird. Then he pinned him down with one heavy paw.

"Shall I tell you my plan?" he hissed.

"Fireheart will be here soon, and he'll kill you!" Runningwind spat.

That seemed to have an effect on the huge dark tabby. "You foxheart," he snarled. "Let me tell you my plan. I'm going to pick off every single ThunderClan piece of crow-food that exists, and _you - are - the - first!_" His giant paw swiped and ripped open Runningwind's throat.

He opened his eyes and was shocked to see a familiar golden shape looming above him. Lionheart's eyes were gentle and proud.

"You are brave, Runningwind."

"T-thank you." It felt like all of StarClan was praising him, to hear those words from Lionheart's jaws.

"Come, it is your time."

Runningwind glanced back at his torn and bloody body, hesitating.

"There is nothing you can do," murmured Lionheart, understanding. "You are already here."

Nodding slowly, the swift tabby padded after the erstwhile ThunderClan deputy. As he went, he saw the ShadowClan warrior Whitethroat find his body and stand in shock; then he saw Fireheart and Mousefur approach, and his heart lifted. If any cat would, Fireheart would solve the mystery of his death.

He felt better, knowing that Fireheart was there to protect ThunderClan.

* * *

**So sorry I missed you before, Runningwind! And Whitethroat, for that matter, who is up next.**


	29. I Am Happy

_For Crowfeather's Girl  
_**- I Am Happy - **

Whitethroat stared in shock as he approached the tabby warrior, lying ominously still. "Aren't you Runningwind?" he whispered, mostly to himself. "The ThunderClan warrior? What's wrong with you?"

He crept forward and leaned over the torn, bloody body. "He's dead," he murmured, his eyes flying wide. He looked up and saw three shapes approaching - the blazing orange shape of Fireheart, small brown Mousefur, and large, noble Whitestorm. He stared at them, still in shock over seeing the horribly torn body. "He's dead!" he began to wail.

He wasn't sure if he wailed it to himself, to StarClan, or to the ThunderClan warriors pelting toward him.

Fireheart let out a furious hiss and sprang at him. Whitethroat was too shocked to do more than hiss and shrink away from him.

_What's wrong with him?_ he thought, terrified. Then he realized: _He thinks I killed Runningwind!_

Fireheart lashed out and knocked Whitethroat to the ground. Winded and unable to form words, the black-and-white ShadowClan warrior lay still, trying to convey surrender and that he did nothing wrong. But his fear of the large orange warrior overcame him as Fireheart hesitated, and Whitethroat slid from underneath him and made a dash toward the Thunderpath and the stone tunnel beneath it.

He bolted for the tunnel when it was in sight, but when he looked over his shoulder, all he saw was Fireheart's enraged face, baring his teeth. Whitethroat panicked.

He dashed out onto the hard surface of the Thunderpath.

Whitethroat saw the monster coming, but couldn't move. Panic had frozen his limbs, made the blood pumping from his heart sluggish. Blaring lights blinded him for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, for a split second the monster was right in front of him - then it was gone.

Agony seared through him when he tried to move.

_I'm broken_, he thought, and tears formed in his eyes. _I'm broken._

He could feel the blood soaking his fur as, out of the corner of his blurry eye, he saw Fireheart approach him cautiously and peer at him. "Why did you attack our patrol?" he whispered, and Whitethroat fully intended to answer, but when he open his jaws, blood and not words trickled out.

He let out a gurgling mew, trying to form words and tell Fireheart the truth. _I didn't, Fireheart! I saw it, I promise...it was Tigerclaw..._

At that moment, he looked past Fireheart's shoulder and paused, his eyes widening and glittering with fear. Tigerclaw stood at the edge of the Thunderpath, eyes gleaming. It was the last sight of Whitethroat's waking vision.

He heard a familiar voice...humming.

It was Silverbird...his mate.

"Silverbird!" he cried out joyously, then tears flooded his cheeks as he gazed at the beautiful, green-eyed silver tabby. "But...I can't move. Please come to me."

"Mousebrain," purred Silverbird. "Of course you can move! Come run with me!"

Uncertainly, Whitethroat heaved himself to his paws and dashed to wind around his beautiful mate. "So does this mean I'm with you in StarClan?"

"Of course."

"Then I am happy," Whitethroat declared, and he licked the top of Silverbird's head with love.


	30. Ready

_For Crowfeather's Girl  
_**- Ready - **

"Go!" yelled Rainwhisker above the thunder. "Get back to camp! I'll get her!"

"Rainwhisker, no," snapped Dustpelt. "You can't do this on your own."

"Do you want all four of us to die?" Rainwhisker yowled. "Dustpelt, take Hazelpaw and _go_!"

The dark brown tabby warrior glared at him, but then conceded. "Fine. If you don't come back alive..." He let it hang in the air, without nothing else to say, then he turned and whisked around with his apprentice.

Rainwhisker turned on his paws. "Honeypaw, where are you?" he shouted, blinking rain from his eyes. _I have to save you, _he thought furiously. _My sister would never forgive me. Oh, Honeypaw, where are you?_

Then, faintly, he heard the wail.

"Somebody help me!"

He raced toward the sound, yowling, "Honeypaw, keep yelling! Keep screaming! I have to follow your voice!" He wasn't sure whether she heard him or not, but she kept up the eerie, thin wail, barely audible above the crashing thunder and downpour.

He saw her for half a second, illuminated by lightning. She was caught in the roots of a tree, her paw tangled in brambles. "I'm coming, Honeypaw!" he shouted, leaping for her just as more lightning flashed, and this time, there was an ominous _crack_.

Rainwhisker paid it no mind. He brought his paw back and brought it down hard on Honeypaw's hindpaw, freeing her from the brambles.

"Rainwhisker!" she screamed, staring upward.

He glanced upward, and saw the falling branch for only a brief second. Then he hooked his paw around his niece's body and flung her away from him.

"_Uncle Rainwhisker!_"

With a thunderous crash, the branch fell atop him. He yowled with the pure agony, then gritted his teeth against it and yelled, "Honeypaw! Get back to camp _now_!"

"I won't leave you!"

"GO!"

He strained to hear her pawsteps, and once he had, he knew she was leaving. Only then did he allow himself a high, thin scream, which receded into a gentle sigh as he closed his eyes.

"I do wish I had gotten the chance to meet our niece," meowed a voice affectionately. "She seems very noble. A lot like you, Rainwhisker."

Rainwhisker opened his eyes and slowly stood. There was no branch.

"Sootfur?" His eyes flew wide in shock as he saw his black brother, smiling at him. He bounded toward Sootfur and wound around him, painfully aware that this meant he was dead.

"It's so good to see you again," he purred.

"I'd rather have waited, myself," meowed Sootfur dryly. "You would have made a great mentor to some lucky cat."

"So would you have, though," answered Rainwhisker.

"Always with the compliments. You're a sap, Rainwhisker. Now, are you ready?"

Rainwhisker didn't need to ask what Sootfur meant. He only nodded and smiled, mimicking Sootfur's favorite wry tone. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Sootfur smiled. "Not a one."

Rainwhisker glanced back. "Sorreltail will be okay?"

"Of course not," Sootfur snorted. "But she'll recover."

"And I can't go see her?"

"Not right this second, but you can, yes. I have before."

Rainwhisker smiled. "Then yes. I'm ready."


	31. Hate That I Love You

It wasn't right.

Nothing about it was right. Not only was she a medicine cat, but he was of another Clan, specifically the one that her own Clan was currently warring with. She found very little time to sneak away, what with all the injured cats coming in, and he had to first get away from the battle plans stirring up dust in his Clan.

What was worse was that she didn't _want_ to feel this way about him. She hadn't had any intention of letting her stomach flip over when she saw a tom, or her heart beat faster. But it did with him.

Every night he raced through her dreams, and she feared that StarClan would enter and see him there. If they did, they surely wouldn't be as stunned by his sleek, muscular form as she was. They wouldn't look upon him with awe, lust, love, admiration, as she did. The sight of him wouldn't send their pulse racing.

Just last night she had left the camp, evermore grateful that she had no apprentice. She had met him at the Gathering place. He was so beautiful. He called her beautiful, but she didn't believe it for a second. She could be pretty or ugly, beautiful or hideous, but she didn't care as long as he _said_ she was beautiful - even _if_ she didn't believe it. The words sounded like honey coming from his tongue. His scent tasted like honey in her mouth. He was sweet and handsome. His glowing amber eyes always left her dizzy when they traveled along her. His long fur and plumy tail would brush her pelt as he turned to leave, and she would have to stand there a few moments longer, regathering her scattered wits.

She _hated_ it.

It was like his melted amber eyes were hypnotic. Like his fur brushing along hers compelled her to follow. Like he had the power of StarClan in his paws, only worse, more dictatorial; more able to _force_ her to follow.

She hated him.

He was her nightmare.

He told her every night, whether in person or in her dreams: "I love you. I feel lucky that you love me back, because you do love me back, don't you? And don't you feel lucky I love you?"

And every night, whether in person or in her dreams, she would reply: "I love you, too. Of course I do. And of course I feel lucky to have your love."

But when she'd wake, she would think, _I hate you. With all of my heart, I hate you. I feel cursed that you make me feel this way._

And now, as she sneaked out of camp, she hated not only him, but herself. As she raced through the forest, her paws making no noise, she wished she could pray to StarClan for forgiveness. She reached the Gathering place, and he was already waiting, golden-red fur gently shifting in the moonlit breeze. She shivered as he wound around her, and she knew yet again that she was under his spell.

She hated him.

He was her nightmare.

**-Based off of Rihanna's song, "Hate That I Love You"**

**Which I hate. But it gave me inspiration.**

**Don't try and guess who the cats are; they are anonymous. I have no idea who they are.**


	32. Memories

**Hey, everyone. I want to apologize for my very long absence. I know, it's been a LONG time - I'm as pissed off as you are. My internet has a mind of its own. Literally. There's a little Net God living in my computer that stares out at me and thinks, **_**What can I do to screw her over today?**_** So yes, my internet goes out. OFTEN. (On the bright side, I saw JUMPER yesterday. Now I have daydreams of jumping, and some weird thoughts on the side. I like.) I'm going to try and get back in the swing of things with some drabbles in this story. God, it's been forever since I've written Warriors. I can't wait for Outcast to come out. Anyone see the cover yet? It's gorgeous. So serene and peaceful. So I'm going to make this drabble very peaceful and serene. It's time to take a trip...Let's take a stroll down lovely memory lane and believe, once more, in hope.**

**- Memories - **

Autumn leaves were being swirled by a soft breeze. He looked on as the beautiful golds and bronzes moved around him in lovely patterns. They made him think of a certain she-cat's fur, only richer and deeper. He let out a soft sigh and held out a paw to catch one as the breeze let up.

Things had definitely been hard. He had gone through every kind of betrayal he thought might exist, and he had saved his Clan. With the guidance of his brave warriors he had led them here, to his new lakeside home. After that he had almost been killed by his most loyal fighter, but Brambleclaw had made the right decision. He had saved Firestar's life.

Now Firestar sat by the lakeshore, breathing deeply of the salt air. Leaf-fall was one of the most beautiful seasons, deceiving with its brutal nature. As was the lake; smooth as crystal, but a pit of danger to any cat.

But who was Firestar to dwell on sad memories, dark thoughts? He not only had experienced the horrible, but he knew love, and warmth. He knew the soft fur of his mate, Sandstorm, and his tongue had rasped many a time across the foreheads of his daughters. And now Squirrelflight had two sons and a daughter. Firestar felt gratified in every way. If he could have done anything differently...he wouldn't have.

He still felt the pelts of cats passed away brush against him. He was saddened to find that Cinderpelt seemed to have disappeared, but he saw her blue eyes in his waking dreams, and felt love.

He gazed out across the lake.

"This is my life," he whispered, and his words almost seemed to form golden swirls in front of him. He smiled. "I love this."

He felt them all by his side, even those who still lived. Sandstorm purred in his ear, and Greystripe rasped his tongue across Firestar's shoulder. He meowed, though they were only with him in spirit, "Don't ever leave. Don't...don't ever leave."

_I tried so hard_, he thought. _When things didn't go my way, I still carried on. And look where it's taken me. Look where my pawsteps have led me._ He turned his head and could almost see his ghostly pawsteps in the soil behind him, leading along the lake, over the mountains, through the forest, in his garden. And in a twisting side path, upriver, into a gorge, with his love's pawprints beside his. His eyes seemed to travel further than his body, and he relived again the life he had had. And again, he thought, _If I could have done anything differently...I wouldn't have_.

A smile curved across Firestar's aging face, and a playful breeze rustled through his bronze-orange fur.

He felt simple. He felt clean.


	33. The Prophecy That Wasn't

**- The Prophecy That Wasn't -**

The long-limbed black apprentice sat watching the tall tree. He had never seen a bird quite that color of orange. It was blazing; it looked like a miniature ball of flame sitting serenely on the branch. This particular bird, however, he had not considered killing, which was practically betrayal to his Clan in a hungry time like this. It just looked too much like _her_, with its blazing bronze feathers.

He even imagined, from his vantage point many feet below it, that it had green eyes. He thrilled to the thought. What an idea! It must be a prophecy from StarClan. They must be telling him that he and the beautiful she-cat were meant to be!

Purring loudly, he turned in a circle, chasing his tail like a kit with happiness. No, he wouldn't see her when he got back to camp. But he knew she'd return eventually, and when she did, he was going to tell her everything.

**-x-**

"Can I go hunting by the Ancient Oak, Spiderleg? Please?"

Spiderleg hardly even realized that Mousepaw was talking to him. Only when his apprentice gently batted at his paw did he meow distractedly, "Sure, Mousepaw. I'll meet you there in a little while. Be careful."

"Okay! Thanks!"

The black warrior had eyes only for the dark ginger she-cat padding across the clearing before him. He wondered if she realized how truly gorgeous she was. _I bet Brambleclaw doesn't even tell her how beautiful she is,_ thought Spiderleg viciously.

And in that moment, he made up his mind.

Then he was striding across the clearing, his long legs carrying him swiftly toward her. "Squirrelflight!" he called. His heart thumped painfully in his chest when she lifted her sculpted head towards him.

"Oh! Hi, Spiderleg!" she meowed brightly. She got up and bumped her muzzle against his cheek. He felt a thrill run through his fur. "You know," purred Squirrelflight, "We hardly ever talk anymore. No time!"

"No time," echoed Spiderleg weakly.

Squirrelflight smiled at him. It was a small and simple smile, one of friendship and old companionship, but to Spiderleg it was brilliant, beautiful. "What was it you wanted?" she asked him.

He told himself sharply that he would never get anywhere just deliberating. He decided to come right out and tell her.

"Listen, Squirrelflight. The thing is, I think - no, I _know_ that I am in -"

"Squirrelflight!" It was Brambleclaw's voice. It seemed harsh and grating to Spiderleg's ears as both he and Squirrelflight turned toward their deputy. The dark tabby twitched his ears at his mate. "Come on, Firestar said you and I can go hunting."

And so, like he had done countless times, again and again and again, ever since he had seen the blazing orange bird...Spiderleg watched the she-cat he loved walk away.


	34. Meant To Be

_For Cloudfire_

**- Meant To Be - **

Mousefur leaned down to nudge the pale tabby to his paws and was completely shocked when a whine crept into her voice. "Please, Longtail," she whispered. "Please wake up. You'll recover."

He wasn't moving except for his shallow breathing. She rasped her tongue tenderly across his fur, not particularly caring that Leafpool had told her not to get too close to the sick cat.

Mousefur breathed in his scent, and she didn't smell the illness of greencough on him; instead she smelled his, the scent of the elders' den and even of herself on him from where she curled up beside him in his fitful sleep.

All of a sudden, Longtail sucked in a breath and opened his filmy blind eyes. "Mousefur?" he gasped.

The dusky brown she-cat butted her head very gently against his. "You scared me half to death, you old fool."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

His tone of voice sent ripples of icy claws through Mousefur's pelt. "What are you sorry for, Longtail?" she asked him.

"For never...for never..." He was dragging in painful breaths.

"Longtail?" whispered Mousefur.

"For never...telling you...I love you," he whispered. And then the rest of it came out in a rush. "I thought I loved Sandstorm. I even thought maybe I loved Russetfur, but not as much as I was loyal to the warrior code. And then I wondered...could it not be she-cats I like? But that wasn't true either. I was ignoring what was right in front of me, because I didn't think...I didn't think it was possible."

"Great StarClan, Longtail," Mousefur cried. "You didn't think it was possible? I'm the grumpiest cat you know, but I still lead you. I still bring you food. I still groom you. I still do everything I can to make you comfortable. And you didn't think it was _possible_?"

Longtail sighed. "I'm sorry..."

"I forgive you," meowed Mousefur snappishly, "but only because I love you, too."

But Longtail was already asleep, his breath coming more relaxed now. Could it be that the weight of his thoughts were what had carried him further into sickness?

Hours later Leafpool padded in and both of the elders were sleeping, peaceful and serene, beside one another. She pressed gently against their chests, listened to their heartbeats, checked their eyes and noses for streaming.

They both seemed perfectly healthy.

Not only that, but they seemed so caring, laying close beside one another, their deep breaths synchronized. Leafpool smiled and left the catmint beside them if they wanted it. They probably didn't need it. After all, it was probably meant to be.


	35. Rescuer

**Note: Crowfeather's Girl, I am NOT skipping your request, but I can't get any inspiration for Tawnypaw's dealio right now, so it's delayed. Promise I'll do it though XD**

_For The Only Pancake  
__**­**_**- Rescuer -**

The tawny tom breathed in deeply where he stood a few foxlengths from the edge of WindClan territory. It had been two moons since he'd broken it off with Heatherpaw, and though his heart still ached, he had no intention of restarting the relationship. But he had to face his heartache sooner or later, so here he stood, breathing in the all-too-familiar WindClan scent.

He still smelled it in his dreams anyway; he had to face it down, and get rid of it once and for all.

Besides, there was another.

She had promised to meet him here today, to help him. He had surprised himself by spilling everything to her, even his semi-betrayal of the warrior code, and _she_ had surprised _him_ by supporting him entirely...by understanding.

Lionpaw breathed in deeply again, and this time the WindClan was overlaid with fresh ThunderClan, and the spicy scent of Poppypaw.

"How are you faring?" she whispered as she sat down, very close to him. Almost unbearably close. His throat burned and his heart ached as he leaned into her.

"I'm okay," he lied.

She didn't believe him. She licked him tenderly over his head. "Lionpaw, I want you to know how I feel for you. I'll always be your life support. I'll always keep your head above water."

"I feel the same," he murmured, rubbing his head against her chest, "but I felt it for her, too."

Poppypaw purred. "It's enough that you love me, too."

Lionpaw started at the words, but he didn't deny them. It was almost unbearable how much stronger his feelings were for Poppypaw then they were for Heatherpaw. He lifted his head and meowed, "I do love you."

"I love you," she echoed in a whisper. "I'll help you get over Heatherpaw."

"You know," he meowed, smiling slightly, "sitting here, staring into your eyes, I think I am over her."

She let out a bursting purr and wound around him. "Oh, Lionpaw. I've waited for you for moons."

Lionpaw didn't have anything to say to that but a soft purr. He hadn't thought it was possible for an apprentice to love, but being with her made him feel older, like an experienced warrior. When Poppypaw had started becoming closer to him, helping him to get past Heatherpaw, he had thought of her as a friend. But now, feeling her tortoiseshell fur brush silkily against his, he knew he loved her.

He remembered his words with Heatherpaw: _There will be no borders between us in StarClan._

Now he wished they had never been spoken.

Poppypaw let out another great purr. "Let's hunt."

He smiled at her. She always knew the right thing to say, however short the sentence was.

"You know something, Poppypaw?" he purred as they walked side by side.

"Mmm?"

"You're my rescuer. You really do keep me afloat."

She answered with a soft, tender purr, and he finally felt at peace.


	36. Hatred

**- Hatred - **

The huge dark tabby paced back and forth, waiting. His breathing came in quick gasps, almost as if he were nervous. But Tigerstar was never nervous, so that made no sense.

He shook his great head back and forth in denial.

"Tigerstar?" called a tentative voice, and it sounded beautiful and melodic to Tigerstar's ears.

"You're here!" he cried, rushing forward to wind his body around his pale ginger queen. He ran his tongue along her pelt against the lie of the fur on one side and with it on the other. He had never felt such a rush of emotion as he felt now - well, other than the hate whenever he saw _Firestar's_ face. But Firestar had nothing to do with this, not now. It was all Goldenflower now.

"Tigerstar, I can't...I can't stay," murmured Goldenflower.

The words sent a cold thrill through him. "What do you mean?" he said, confused. "I love you, Goldenflower. I can't live without you."

"You aren't living. Neither of us are living. I need to go join StarClan."

"_What_?" Tigerstar cried, shocked. "Goldenflower! I love you! All I want is for you to be here, with me."

"I can't 'live' in this forest, Tigerstar," said Goldenflower, and her voice was firm. "I belong in StarClan. And besides," she hissed, and her voice had grown unbearably cold, "you don't love me. You never did. What about _Sasha_?"

That threw Tigerstar for a loop. What about Sasha? He didn't understand.

"What does Sasha have to do with this?"

"You mated with _her_!" Goldenflower yowled. "You had Hawkfrost and Mothwing with _her_!"

"Goldenflower, she didn't mean anything to me," Tigerstar tried to soothe her.

"Stop it," snapped Goldenflower as he rasped his tongue over her face. Shocked, he stepped back. "I won't take this from you. I don't believe you for a second. Prove you loved me."

"I didn't...I didn't..."

"You didn't what? If you had loved me you wouldn't have tried to harm my Clan. Because guess what, Tigerstar? I was a part of ThunderClan, too. You tried to kill _me_."

Stricken, Tigerstar only watched as Goldenflower walked away. That was when his hatred began to grow.

"I'll kill you," he whispered as she picked up speed, racing from the forest as he stood there motionless. "I'll kill all of you."


	37. In The Rain

_For Spiritpelt  
_**-In The Rain-**

The minute the ThunderClan cats stepped from the cover of the undergrowth, their pelts were drenched by the pouring rain. Several of them made angry hisses, but most of these were directed at the ShadowClan invaders five fox-lengths over the border.

Ashfur hunched his shoulders and bristled, blinking rain furiously from his eyes.

Russetfur spoke. "ThunderClan will lose territory today, or die!"

"ShadowClan will force us to do neither!" Firestar yowled, and his battle-ready words were the go-ahead for the cats. Ashfur sprang forward with the rest of them, yowling a war cry as he pelted through the rain and connected hard with Rowanclaw.

The ginger tom fell before Ashfur's furious onslaught. Ashfur knew better than to kill without intent, so he sprang from Rowanclaw and dashed toward the apprentice Ivypaw, but in the next second Rowanclaw had leapt upon Ashfur's back and dug in his claws.

Ashfur let out an angry yowl and swung his paw, rolling himself over and catching Rowanclaw on the cheek.

"Filthy ShadowClanner!" he hissed.

"Last I checked, ThunderClan was the one with all the _mixed blood_," snapped Rowanclaw, and he extended a single claw and ripped it across Ashfur's face and left eye.

Ashfur screamed with pain and then a golden tabby blur shot past him as his apprentice, Lionpaw, lashed his claws along Rowanclaw's side. Ashfur joined the attack, digging his fangs deep into the ShadowClan warrior's neck.

"Ashfur! Your eye!" Lionpaw's moment of horror was interrupted by a hard rear kick from Rowanclaw. Ashfur grunted with impatience and raked his claws across Rowanclaw's thigh.

It wasn't long before he subdued Rowanclaw, pushing the other warrior to the ground and holding down, non-fatally, on his windpipe. He pushed his face into Rowanclaw's and snarled, "You will never cross that border again, do you hear me?"

Rowanclaw spat in Ashfur's face.

Ashfur bared his teeth.

"You're about to die," hissed Rowanclaw.

Before Ashfur could reply, he heard Lionpaw's terrified yowl over the thunderous fall of rain: "Ashfur! _Run!_"

"What?"

_Thunk!_ A heavy paw crashed down on Ashfur's back. He felt the spine weaken, and then he tried to run, screaming. But Blackstar was fast, just fast enough to crash his paw down on the pale gray warrior again, snapping his spine and killing him instantly.

Across the clearing Squirrelflight stared in horror. "No," she whispered, somehow catching Brambleclaw's attention. "_No_!" She began to run, her paws throwing up water as she raced past the battling cats and splashed through puddles of rain. "No, Ashfur! Great StarClan, no!"

She heard Brambleclaw running alongside her, but ignored him as she threw herself over Ashfur's limp body. Ashfur was a dark, wet gray, his back slowly growing crimson where his spine had fractured out of the skin. Lionpaw stared in horror, but Squirrelflight didn't see him either.

"Ashfur," she sobbed, burying her muzzle in the wet gray and red. "No, Ashfur."

"Squirrelflight," said Brambleclaw coldly. "We have to help our Clanmates."

"He shouldn't be dead!" Squirrelflight wailed. "He - he shouldn't be...he shouldn't be..."

"Squirrelflight!" Brambleclaw's voice rose in pitch and intensity. "We have to fight! Please, Squirrelflight, they could kill some cat else and you'd never know."

Slowly, Squirrelflight heaved herself to her paws, but she leaned over Ashfur's face and gave him one last lick across the cheek. Too low for Brambleclaw to hear, she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Ashfur. For everything. For not telling you I loved you...when I loved you both. I'm sorry."

And perhaps, standing there before his journey into StarClan, Ashfur heard.


	38. It Was Never You

_For Rubyheart481  
_**- It Was Never You-**

Nightcloud pressed her sleek black pelt close to his, her eyes shining as she watched their son practice his hunting crouch with Heatherpaw and Harepaw. Crowfeather shifted uncomfortably, his ears twitching.

"I'm so proud of him," meowed Nightcloud. "He's done so well, don't you think? He's his father's son!"

Crowfeather found it hard to think of Breezepaw as his son, even though they had the same built and the same short, choppy pelts. Breezepaw even had his blue eyes. But Crowfeather regarded Breezepaw with a detachment that bordered on dislike.

"Crowfeather?" prompted Nightcloud.

"Oh, yes," Crowfeather replied, "he's done...well."

"You haven't even been watching, have you?"

_Here we go_. Every couple of days Nightcloud flared up, throwing some accusation or another at him, and they all had one commonality - Leafpool. This one intimated that Crowfeather wished Breezepaw had never been born.

"You just hate him, don't you?" Nightcloud whispered furiously. "Why did you even mate with me if you knew I might get pregnant? That I might have kits?"

Crowfeather blinked liquidly at her. "I don't know what you mean."

"That's a lie," snapped Nightcloud.

Crowfeathe meowed, "I don't hate Breezepaw. He's my son," though these last words were forced.

"Not in your mind. He'd be more your son if he was that filthy ThunderClan medicine cat's, wouldn't he?" she hurled at him, unsheathing her claws.

Crowfeather hesitated. Of course she was right. Watching Breezepaw grow up had been agonizing, knowing that Leafpool was watching, too. He hated himself for what he had done, and hated himself because he still was head-over-heels in love with Leafpool.

"Your hesitation," hissed Nightcloud coldly, "speaks volumes."

"What? No. I was just trying to think of a way to get it through to you that I'm over Leafpool. Why else would I have had a kit with you?" Crowfeather said, speaking slowly, his lie many-a-time rehearsed; he knew if he spoke too fast it would be obvious he was just trying to placate her.

She stared at him with hateful eyes, but eventually the fury receded from them, and she licked very slowly and possessively along his neck. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I know I overreacted."

"It's okay," said Crowfeather, breathing an inward sigh of relief. Never would she know how he fantasized about Leafpool, or how when he saw her, he could barely restrain himself from leaping upon her with joy.

Never would she know that Crowfeather was, indeed, in love. Just not with her.


	39. No Borders

_For Tanpaw_

**- No Borders -**

As he sat alone in the lonely gloom above the dark tunnels, Lionpaw wondered vaguely if, somehow, Heatherpaw had had the same idea - that this was the place that she _needed_ to be, just as he had suddenly thought, _I have to go to the tunnel_.

It was closed over, of course, and he stared desolately at the wreckage of the entrance, the wreckage that was barely visible - that only he could see, he who had gone down there so many times.

He remembered his last words to her - "We would have done the same for any cat."

And hers to him - "You're going to be a great warrior, Lionpaw."

_Yeah,_ he thought, _that's what they all say. That's what I want to believe. I thought it would be better with you gone, but now I can't concentrate. It's even worse_.

"Why did I let you go?" he whispered into the soft breeze, and the wind seemed to carry the words all around him, making them echo in his ears like a million reminders of how he'd done wrong.

"Stop," he murmured. It happened again. "Stop!"

"Lionpaw?"

The voice was painfully familiar. So familiar it tore at his heart like thorn-sharp claws ripping mercilessly into his chest. And when he looked up, those eyes, the color of a late-afternoon sky, were staring into his, filled with hurt and something else.

"Heatherpaw," he whispered. He forced himself to say, "You shouldn't be here."

A choking sound came from her throat - a sob.

"But I want you to be," he continued, softly.

She bit her lip. "No, Lionpaw. _You_ pushed _me_ away."

"It's what I thought was best," he whispered. "But I was wrong."

He paused. "How did you know to come here?"

"I had a feeling."

"So did I," he murmured.

"Lionpaw!" she cried, agonized. "_You_ left _me_ behind!"

He stepped closer to her, his left cheek brushing her right one, and breathed the words into her ear. "_There will be no borders between us in StarClan_." He paused as she went still. "You remember."

"We're not in StarClan," she murmured.

"We can...we can pretend. Just like DarkClan. Remember?"

She nodded. "You said, _our time together will be something I remember even when I'm in StarClan_. I've never let those words go."

"Heatherpaw..." Lionpaw stepped back and searched her heather-colored eyes. There was still hurt there. He let out a choking sob like she had and whispered, "I think I'm in love with you."

A low keening wail rose from her throat, soft and barely audible, but a scream to Lionpaw's ears. She rushed forward and pressed her cheek to his. "Lionpaw," she breathed. "Do you really mean it? You won't push me away again?"

"We have to keep it secret," he purred, "but I love you, Heatherpaw."

"I love you too," she cried, and Lionpaw felt his heart lift. Maybe StarClan existed on the same plane as his own life, and maybe that was what this moment was about. Maybe there already weren't any borders between them because, in a way, they _were_ a part of StarClan.

Or at least that was what he would keep telling himself as he shared tongues with Heatherpaw. _There will be no borders between us,_ he murmured in his mind, _whether here or there._


	40. Blame

_Special Note to Stonetail's Loyalty-  
I would love to review your story! However, my parental controls won't let me access your profile so I can read it. I don't think there's anything wrong with it (my PCs are wacky). If it isn't too long and you would like to Private Message me with it, then I will definitely PM you back with my thoughts. You can also TRY sending me the link but I don't know how does with those things. Until then, however, here is the one-shot you requested!_

**- Blame -**

Her breathing came in hyperventilating gasps as she ran, the painful cramps forming in her sides. _Already?_ she thought. _It can't be too far...it mustn't be too far._

By now she had no idea how long she had been running, and she didn't particularly care. And she would run just as fast and hard to get back, but for now, she had to see him.

When she thought she was far enough away, she began crying out for him: "Please! Where are you?"

And all at once, she heard his blessed reply: "You came!"

She threw herself at him, nestling in his golden fur, which was still sleek and beautiful despite his exile. She wound around him, and both of them shivered at the closeness of the other.

"Of course I came," she whispered. "Didn't I tell you I love you?"

"I thought...I thought you'd believe them."

"I know you didn't kill him," the she-cat growled vehemently, taking a step back. "I know you aren't a liar. I thought that you thought the same of me."

"I do, I do!" he said quickly, stepping forward to lick her between the ears. "Don't be ridiculous. I know you don't lie."

She buried her face in his chest, comforted by the warmth as the cool breeze ruffled her own fur. She waited a moment and then took another pawstep back. She said seriously, "I do love you, you know."

"I love you, too."

"Is that the truth?"

He smiled, a breathtaking, slightly crooked smile that made her heart leap every time. "Didn't we just go over this?"

"_Is_ it?" she insisted.

"Yes, it is. I love you more than I love our Clan. Or your Clan, now," he corrected himself thoughtfully.

"Then you'll be okay..."

"Hmm?" He tilted his head, an endearing gesture that he did whenever he was waiting or confused. She couldn't help smiling.

"I'm going to have your kits," she whispered.

Instead of pleasure, a look of shock spread over his face. "No," he said urgently. "You can't! They'll blame you, too! They'll exile you!"

She wasn't daunted. "I'm exiling myself. I'm coming with you."

"You think it's easy?" he said violently, his fur fluffing out. "To take care of myself out here?"

"I can handle it. I can help you. It'll be easier with two cats hunting, right?" She could hear the desperation in her voice and said more quietly, "I just want to be with you. Please don't take that away from me."

His beautiful face softened. "You're right. I feel the same."

She bounced in place. "Great! So what now?"

He licked her gently across the cheek. "Now we run."

"Run?"

"Look." He pointed his muzzle, and she turned to see a breathtaking new dawn - which only signaled the start of the search for _her_. "They're going to be looking for you, and they knew we were mates. We have to run."

She nodded, once, sharply. "Lead the way, my love."

And so they turned and ran, their pawsteps pounding, running from life, liberty, and unfair blame.


End file.
